You Tube

You Tube

Isela Reyes


You Tube is a website much like myspace, in which people can log on and make videos of themselves and broadcast it online. You tube has quite literally become a cultural phenomenon since it exploded onto the internet scene in 2005. It was created my three friends who were all previously Paypal employees. They decided to create a website where people could go online and post, upload and share their videos with other online users. By allowing people to record and post their own videos on the website, the possibility of being viewed by millions is very much a possibility.

You tube has created an endless amount of possibilities for many entrepreneurs who use the website as a means to further their careers by posting videos of their products or business ventures. It is also used as a means for exposure by musicians who are looking to be discovered. The group Ok Go is a perfect example of this. They posted their you tube video of their song Here It Goes Again in which the whole video consists of them moving around in harmony on a bunch of treadmills that are lined up together while they do tricks on them. Since then, they have had their song become a hit worldwide and were even asked to perform at the MTV Music Awards.

Although their can be some positive things about you tube there are always the negative aspects that come along with an open internet site. Since its creation, you tube has had some issues with the content of videos that are being posted. To combat this, the website has posted some restrictions such as some videos only being allowed to be viewed by those eighteen and older if the contents are offensive to some. There has been a large outcry about you tube and the negative postings that are on the website. Some examples include postings by people that show others engaging in physical violence, sex, drug use and even animal cruelty. Some countries who do not approve of you tube have gone as far as banning it from their country, such as Brazil and Morocco.

I believe you tube can be a great way to express yourself and to people across the world. However I do believe there are some people who abuse the website, and when I mean abuse it I am referring to posting inappropriate videos that may contain violence, sex and drug use. This is a website that has millions of people logging on each day, and a large portion of them are children. The last thing we as adults want to do is expose them to those over video postings on the internet. I think it’s great that there are some restrictions to prevent this from happening but there are always ways to get around those. I think they need to reevaluate what the best way to allow safe, fun postings for everyone.

As a journalism student, I think you tube can be a great tool when looking for a story. You tube can give you a great lead on a story or it can be the story. This website is a great way for journalism students to find story ideas and leads. It’s also a great tool for professional journalists. However, they should express caution when using these as a basis for a story, as anything that is posted could be fictitious or simply a prank.