Tag Archives: YouTube

Internet Sensations

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For the last week I have been tracking my watching habits and here is a brief summary and break down of those watching habits. I have been watching a lot more media now that we are in quarantine and it consists of everything from Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, TikTok, and live White House press conferences. In recent years I have watched less and less cable TV, to now the only thing I watch on television is sports. As for this past week, I have mainly watched YouTube videos and streamers on a platform called Twitch which is mainly for people playing video games. I’ve noticed that since quarantine began my intake has gone up and with that I have branched out more from my typical content, I have watched more documentaries, specifically on YouTube and most recently one called “For the 25” which is about a military sniper unit in Afghanistan. On top of this I have also been reading more news articles about updates about the virus and things happening around the world in general. In order to keep myself busy I am watching these things whenever I have free time, so it is an all day affair. As for changes that have been happening on the internet, I have seen more content creators on multiple platforms views skyrocket. More people using it means more possible viewers and these creators are taking advantage of this in a good way, and so are the viewers. Everyone has more time to find people that make the content that interest them that maybe they wouldn’t have found normally. One of my favorite things that has come out of this is John Krasinski’s YouTube channel that he made in order to spread positivity in these troubling times. He shares stories of hope and other things that have been overshadowed by the coronavirus. Another positive to come out of this quarantine is other sorts of entertainment being able to make huge steps, like esports. Since other sports are cancelled, and esports can be played competitively remotely, they are getting air time on channels like ESPN.

My Own Viewing and Streaming Habits

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In a typical week, most of my media gets consumed through the platform YouTube. This being said, roughly 15 to 20 percent of media I consume is also from Netflix. My usage of these two platforms will be carefully dissected and compared with one another, also reflecting its change in use since the COVID-19 outbreak creating a dramatic disruption in lifestyle.

First, YouTube is an appealing platform to be because of its user-generated content and the ability to access what is one of the largest varieties of subject material online. My watch history greatly reflects this accessibility, as I consume content spanning various topics. These include, but are not limited to: history, geography, linguistics, science, literature, philosophy, and a small amount of gaming as well. Most videos watched by me are educational, as I find it very interesting to learn a large variety of material, as well as watch it be debated, criticized, or thoroughly examined. Most all of this material is consumed in the late hours of the night, and I frequently notice myself watching or simply listening to a video essay until I fall asleep.

With Netflix, the type of content I consume varies greatly from what I watch on YouTube. Primarily I watch TV series on Netflix which deal in suspense, mystery, crime, or the science-fiction/fantasy genre. With this streaming service, shows as old as The Twilight Zone and as new as Mindhunter are on my list of things to watch together. I also have a habit of watching shows and film which are international in content, particularly in the German language. Both Babylon Berlin and Dark are favorites of mine, for example. I watch Netflix far less often than I do YouTube, using it only once or twice a week and only an episode or two at a time. I rarely, if at all, binge-watch content here. Usually it takes place in the late afternoon, around dinner or closer to sunset. I find that I have to be in a particular mood to watch an actual movie or TV series.

Taking both of these platforms back together, whatever platform I am viewing must indicate my purpose, or reflect what I want to get out of the viewing experience. On YouTube, I expect to learn and entertain myself simultaneously, exploring small niches or logically breaking something down. On Netflix however, all I seek is a story that will thrill me and allow my mind to work in a more problem-solving direction. Since the closure of non-essential businesses in Charleston, I have much more free time on my hands. I am not entirely sure why, but I have noticed a sharp increase in my watch time for YouTube while my Netflix viewing has remained unchanged.

Youtube Dominance

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For many years now my main source of entertainment when it comes to streaming online would have to be Youtube. I would say I have been watching Youtube videos since middle-school and most of what I watch are like family vloggers or influencers who are around my age. Honestly, at first, I thought I was weird for watching these kinds of videos but over time I learned that many people my age also do so as well. I would say within the past 4-5 years these kinds of videos have really taken off and I would say most people have at least one person they follow or watch via Youtube. I think what attracted me most to Youtube videos was the short duration of them as it fits well with my short attention span. I also used to love watching reality shows so this in a way was like a reality show but more personal. In today’s society, we love to have access to things right at the edge of our fingertips and these Youtube videos fulfill that quick turnaround that we love. We often only have to wait a day for new videos whereas on TV we have to wait months on end for new seasons of shows to air.  I also love that I feel as though I can relate to some of these vloggers as many are also in college and are going through many of the same things I am. Recently, I have been really into watching TikTok videos, which I’m a little ashamed to admit. Once again I like the shortness of the videos and the fact that you can upload and create your own content relatively easily. I do watch some shows and movies on Netflix and Hulu but those two combined do not exceed my usage on Youtube.

Killing Time or Staying Pacified?

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My media diet consists mainly of YouTube videos and Netflix shows and movies, with the occasional movie rental or purchase through a service like VUDU. I tend to do most of my viewing on my phone since it provides me with the flexibility to watch anywhere I want, whereas my laptop or the television downstairs don’t afford me the same luxury of consuming media in bed or at the dining room table during lunch. I do still prefer to use my laptop or the television downstairs for movies or longer binges of television shows.

The contents of my media diet is somewhat unchallenging and falls into two fairly distinct categories for me. I mainly watch either light-hearted comedic content or construction based/educational videos. Some examples of the kinds of light-hearted content I consume includes Community, Adventure Time, and most of my news which I get from sources like the Daily Show, The Late Show, or Last Week Tonight. I find that as important as it is to stay vigilant to the atrocities and misfortunes befalling our world, it is also important to have an uncomplicated escape from reality. Having something simple to watch or repackaging harsh news in easy-to-digest terms helps keep each day from becoming an existential battle rooted in moral confusion. For the other half of my media diet I like to watch lots of science videos and maker videos on YouTube. Some of my favorites include Kurzegesagt, Adam Savage’s Tested, Sam O’ Nella Academy (more comedy than fact), Hacksmith, Planet Earth, and Vsauce. Liking content which isn’t challenging does not mean that I don’t like to think and learn. I find filling the quieter moments of my day with the harshness of reality to be unpleasant but filling the still parts of my life with interesting facts and projects is more fulfilling. I like to learn about things that interest me, and by learning more about the world around me I feel safer and more comfortable going through each day. To that end, I highly recommend the Kurzegesagt videos on corona virus and the human immune system for anyone worried about the current state of the world. Neither video will make the problem less significant in our world, but there is something comforting about understanding a threat from an objective point of view and disincentivizing the impulse to panic.

In regard to the specifics of my media consumption, I have found a mass incline in my screen time since the quarantine. I have watched almost the entirety of Community on Netflix and all of Avatar the last Airbender through other online resources. I think the combined boredom of being stuck inside and the nagging unease surrounding the quarantine, virus, and the implications of both have left me craving uncomplicated and comforting content. It may have developed into more of a crutch since the lockdown, but with the limited number of things to do while stuck inside it is hard to tell how much of my viewing is an escape and how much is a tactic to kill time.

Elevated screen time… not so bad?

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An Instagram post from National Geographic as an example of the type of media I consume regularly.

Changes in my own media consumption do not vary significantly from those of others; certainly my use has increased. I have found myself scrolling through Instagram (see above), watching funny pet videos on Pinterest, and viewing independent short films on YouTube much more often than before the quarantine. When I wake up, take breaks from schoolwork, and before I go to sleep, I will pop on these sites for about 10 to 30 minutes. My film and TV consumption has also increased. I have finished three television seasons on Netflix and watched about five movies in the past four weeks alone. Though I maintain as regular a schedule as possible (ie. I ‘go to class’ or do classwork and research at the times I would pre-quarantine, and I maintain my regular exercise, meditation and meal routines), I still have an extra hour or two at the end of the day that I typically would not have before the pandemic. My hypothesis for this phenomenon is that the extra bits of time I used to bike and walk to class and to chat with students, professors and other friends on campus would together amount to those two hours I find free at the end of every quarantine day.

Sometimes I fill portions of those time slots with non-screen activities like playing or listening to music, writing or reading. But for the most part, I am behind a screen for a large chunk of those two hours, chatting with friends and family, on social media or watching movies and television. From these observations, I can reasonably conclude that screen time is an easy fall back for filling my free time. It is accessible, diverse in content and emotionally stimulating. Of course, one’s initial reaction to increased screen time is to scold oneself. But I have found that it’s not all that bad. I have discovered and become up to date with work by current and upcoming filmmakers. I have learned more about the second Queen Elizabeth’s life than I ever would have had I not finished two seasons of The Crown. I have even had more than one fits of belly-laughter from watching cats falling (safely) off kitchen counters on Pinterest. Yes, biking, walking and interacting with humans is certainly a preferred use of my time, but I cannot say than an extra few hours of screen time every day or so has been a complete waste of time.