By Gemma deCarvalho
"HE'S MY QUEEN," gushes Cecilia Osvaldella, a grinning, ragingly hilarious teenager from Rome, Italy. Who exactly is her queen, and why exactly is this queen a he? Cecilia Osvaldella is obsessed with YouTube, and one YouTuber especially, Tyler Oakley, or as she dubs him, her queen.
These kings and queens of YouTube range from comedians to music stars to beauty gurus. YouTube, created in 2005, has over one billion users daily and eighty percent of all YouTube traffic originates outside the United States, according to YouTube statistics.
With this phenomenon sweeping the globe, what has happened to good old television?
In this virtual age, TV and YouTube are readily available to teens. Constantly in a battle for views, are the two allies or enemies? Overall, the teens interviewed had split opinions on which form of entertainment they enjoyed better, and gave their pros and cons to both. What do teenagers think of these two entertainment sources compared to each other, and why is YouTube the new teenage fad?
Why do teens love YouTube?
As teenage girl Isabel deCarvalho put it, YouTube is "a funny distraction from life."
The teens interviewed loved YouTube passionately for numerous reasons.
First, is the variety. When asked what they enjoyed to watch on YouTube, numerous answers were given. Common types of videos mentioned were music videos, parodies, tutorials, vlogs and instructional videos. YouTube has something for everyone: from the nerds, to the sporty people, to the creepy weirdoes. Ana Laub, from Brazil, has a sister who loves books, "she's a bookworm", and she has even found a side of YouTube dedicated to her passion. The sporty side is also satisfied, as Rohan Jha, a teenage boy, stated, "it's the only place where you can get a bunch of different sports, games, and teams." Some YouTubers commonly mentioned were Tyler Oakley, Troye Sivan, College Humor, the VlogBrothers, Joe Sugg, and more. YouTubers are also international, with thousands from every country. Here is an example of the nerdy side of YouTube, with a booktuber called polandbannasbooks discussing books passionately:
"HE'S MY QUEEN," gushes Cecilia Osvaldella, a grinning, ragingly hilarious teenager from Rome, Italy. Who exactly is her queen, and why exactly is this queen a he? Cecilia Osvaldella is obsessed with YouTube, and one YouTuber especially, Tyler Oakley, or as she dubs him, her queen.
These kings and queens of YouTube range from comedians to music stars to beauty gurus. YouTube, created in 2005, has over one billion users daily and eighty percent of all YouTube traffic originates outside the United States, according to YouTube statistics.
With this phenomenon sweeping the globe, what has happened to good old television?
In this virtual age, TV and YouTube are readily available to teens. Constantly in a battle for views, are the two allies or enemies? Overall, the teens interviewed had split opinions on which form of entertainment they enjoyed better, and gave their pros and cons to both. What do teenagers think of these two entertainment sources compared to each other, and why is YouTube the new teenage fad?
Why do teens love YouTube?
As teenage girl Isabel deCarvalho put it, YouTube is "a funny distraction from life."
The teens interviewed loved YouTube passionately for numerous reasons.
First, is the variety. When asked what they enjoyed to watch on YouTube, numerous answers were given. Common types of videos mentioned were music videos, parodies, tutorials, vlogs and instructional videos. YouTube has something for everyone: from the nerds, to the sporty people, to the creepy weirdoes. Ana Laub, from Brazil, has a sister who loves books, "she's a bookworm", and she has even found a side of YouTube dedicated to her passion. The sporty side is also satisfied, as Rohan Jha, a teenage boy, stated, "it's the only place where you can get a bunch of different sports, games, and teams." Some YouTubers commonly mentioned were Tyler Oakley, Troye Sivan, College Humor, the VlogBrothers, Joe Sugg, and more. YouTubers are also international, with thousands from every country. Here is an example of the nerdy side of YouTube, with a booktuber called polandbannasbooks discussing books passionately:
Every teen in every interview stated they loved YouTube because of the short length of YouTube videos. As Shivani Pandey, a teenage girl, put it, "I feel less guilty because the videos are shorter." As Terri Waldron, another teenage girl infatuated with YouTube stated, "TV episodes are a commitment." With crammed time schedules with school and homework, sometimes teens just need a short break, or a funny distraction as stated above, and YouTube provides that quick relief for the small attention spans of teens. And, short videos can still be hilarious, or just plain adorable, like this sneezing panda.
Another teen-loved aspect of YouTube is the personal level of YouTube. A laugh at a relatable joke or watching someone completely embarrass themselves on the internet can brighten a teen's day. Some of the teens interviewed stated their favorite YouTubers are vloggers—people who share their life stories and personality in their videos. Shivani Pandey believes this personal level makes YouTubers "so much more relatable" and "I feel like you actually get to know what their personality is like." She goes on to say that if she met a YouTuber she would talk to them like she talks to her good friends. One popular vlogger mentioned was Dan of the channel Danisnotonfire, who talks about relatable issues with his large audience. He does not shy away from the awkward of life; he explores and laughs about it. One example is the video below, where he discusses what he dubs "cringe attacks."
YouTube can also be used for educational purposes, or as Hilary Yeung stated, ""We don't read instructions- we go to YouTube." With channels like Crash Course that educate audiences on current events or subjects, when teachers fail, YouTube has better ones. Channels like the VlogBrothers, run by John and Hank Green, often bring up social and moral issues which they open for discussion among their audience, who they dub NerdFighters. An example of an educational video can be seen in a Crash Course video about Obama:
As seen in the NerdFighters, YouTube also creates mini-virtual communities for teens. The VlogBrothers even conducted a NerdFighter census this year to check up on their audience's opinion. As Isabel deCarvalho stated, "you immediately have a connection" with other fans of the same YouTuber. The often ignored side of YouTube Isabel deCarvalho also spoke to is that YouTube can do good. For example, for his birthday, Tyler Oakley had his subscribers raise $525,704 for the Trevor Project, a charity that supports troubled LGBTQ youth. Besides his ever-changing hair color (which can go from purple to gray in a week), he uses his influence for good. As he stated, "it's necessary for me to use my birthday to help young LGBTQ people across the nation strive to celebrate many more birthdays – it's as simple as that." With a funny video and prizes for those who contributed he hooked teens into helping others.
The cons of YouTube are also evident- and the main one spoken to by teens is how it makes them procrastinate. "The way YouTube is designed—it's addicting," said Josh Berman. The evil cycle of procrastination was also described by Terri Waldron: "It's like when you use a credit card and you don't notice how much money you end up spending." Who needs to do homework when you could marathon YouTube videos? This mentality of teens hurts them in the long run, even as they are cracking up watching a video at one in the morning to avoid studying.
So, teens use and love YouTube, but what about good old television?
TV is still here, and teens still love television, especially with the growing websites like Netflix and Hulu that provide access to their favorite shows. Teens spoke to the distinct amazingness of sites like Netflix and their love for their all time favorite TV shows.
Teens still love dramas like Greys Anatomy, or sitcoms like How I Met Your Mother and Friends. Live sports on TV are also still vital to teens. When asked about their favorite shows, teens went on and on listing all they could think of, worriedly hurrying so they did not leave one of their favorites out. The variety of TV shows gives everyone something to watch.
The teens interviewed loved how TV is longer than YouTube and how they can grow to know and love the characters in shows. They also stated they are always fascinated and hooked by the developed plots of TV. As Shivani Pandey mentioned, "I can connect more to the characters" and she also believes TV is "more of a family bonding thing" as she watches it with her sister different. This is different from YouTube which is usually watched on phones or computers alone. As Rohan Jha stated, the "shows meet a really high standard" and he enjoys the professional aspect of television. He believes TV is "much more mainstream" and easy to connect with when talking to other teens and adults, as some YouTubers are niche compared to big TV shows.
TV can also be used to waste time- but is not used in that aspect as much as YouTube, according to the interviewed teens.
Both YouTube and TV have their pros and cons. Teenagers adore and utilize both for different needs and situations. The expansion of YouTube has caused many to question the need for TV, but teens want both. YouTube has solely become another main aspect and outlet for entertainment in teenage life. To understand teenagers, one must understand YouTube. YouTube is embraced by teens and is readily expanding. YouTube is an embodiment of young culture and gets all their ideas, good and terrifying, out into the world.