One of the most significant innovations of the 21st Century, YOUTUBE, has revolutionized the way people live. It has impacted the person living in the remotest village on the planet as distances are just a click away when you have the power of the Red Button. Before its inception, the world was heavily dependent on fat media production houses for its content consumption needs. Creating content, especially visuals for a wider audience, required the approval of politicians and crony capitalists, leaving limited scope for entry of newcomers, curbing their inherent potential. All industries ranging from Entertainment, News, Infotainment, Education, and Live Streaming were dominated by a selected group of individuals and corporates, offering limited choices at fiery prices, which goes against the principles of a free economy.
Founders of Youtube: Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim (from left)
In 2005, a new venture was started with Paypal employees Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. The very next year, it was acquired by Google, and today it stands as its most lucrative subsidiary generating a whopping revenue of $19.8 billion in the pandemic year 2020. If we look at the non-commercial side of the gigantic video store, we will find that it has far-reaching impacts on the political, social, and economic life of human beings. At the outset of the second decade of the 21st Century, you don't need a Red Mike of a big commercial media channel to express your views. You can speak blatantly against the stakeholders in the system without fearing anyone. Now, you don't need a godfather in Bollywood to prove your acting skills. You don't necessarily need an expensive fitness coach to seek a few tips about your health. All you need is a stable Internet connection, and there you're connected to the ocean of endless content.
Youtube has not attained its present glory just because of its viewership but the ultimate freedom of creative creation. In these 16 years of the behemoth video-sharing platform, a new generation of popular creators and influencers has risen. Gaming, Motivational Speaking, Cooking, Singing, Teaching, and Commentary are the trades that the advent of Youtube has entirely transformed. It gives you the precious opportunity to post unlimited videos without any charge, paying you in return if your content is worthy of it. According to statistics, 7,20,000 hours of fresh content are added to Youtube, with each passing day implying the grand volume of its operations.
Many people still feel hesitant in entering this realm as they fear failure, but after listening to my story, all your notions will shred. In my journey as a Youtuber, I have witnessed a thrilling process of growing. If you want to know the best example of learning from mistakes, Youtubers will serve as the best case study. The way they begin their journey from Kinemaster and reach the forte of Adobe Illustrator, the perfection they augment in their presentation skills, and the economic self-sufficiency they attain over the years are the testimonials of how one can groom themself on this platform. I will not talk about the fame one gains because fame is short-lived, but the added attributes to your personality are more important.
In the emerging rhetoric against Social Media platforms, it's crucial to lineate the exceptional features of the video giant. YouTube has played a vital role in strengthening the voice of dissent, which does not get space on politically backed media channels. Even the minutest incident of corruption or violence surfaces on the platform in a few moments of its taking place. This reflects upon the breach that Youtube has committed against the hegemony of Dons of media, making it a heroic player in the Information Revolution. Apart from encouraging democratic values, it has also boosted the spirit of entrepreneurship amongst youngsters, many of whom chose to exit their lavish corporate cabins to assume the crown of Youtuber. Although startups have been considered taboo in Indian society, the glitter of gold and platinum play button holders has been a driving force that pulls out the best of the talent available.
After discussing the positives of Youtube, let's also look at some of its dark spots. Some people sometimes misuse the unlimited freedom given by the platform to spread propaganda which does not take much time to get converted into hate—visuals of Youtube impact a mob earlier than the text of Whatsapp. Hate against religions, castes and gender tend to polarize our society and push the weak fragments to the outer edges. Sometimes, the creators become destroyers with the unpalatable fake news they spread using this. Viewers must keep in mind that if Youtube can make you productive, it can also sink you if personal intellect and judgment are not exercised to comprehend the objective of the video makers.
Also, with the wholesale production of content, as evident from the above statistics, less attention is paid to the quality of information that millions are grasping. Nowadays, TV channels also forget the standards set for them. Many also accuse Youtube of being inferior to the growing Web Series players like Netflix and Amazon Prime on the entertainment front. But the fact remains the same, none of these have been able to gain that massive broad audience base that the king has.
Despite its numerous flaws, Youtube is still perched on the throne of the Video Content industry. It's not a tyrant but a great prophet who has the gates of his heart open for everyone irrespective of their differences.
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