YouTube, The new media giant

               YouTube has changed the way that not only the American people view media, but how the entire world views it. Before YouTube was the giant it is today, in order to indulge in media, you had to watch television or rent movies. Then YouTube was introduced, changing the game entirely. The media scene was transformed from news studios and production companies providing your media, to the creation of an entirely new form of user driven content. With the introduction of video uploading, you were now able to view content that was uploaded from another individual from anywhere on the globe. This change was a major paradigm shift for media as a whole.  This has opened a deluge of new media, from first person accounts of warzones and major events, reviews on games and moves, and also a way to learn without having to purchase books on subject matter.   The limits are endless when it comes to the content that can be uploaded to YouTube. No longer was media hindered to whatever the news studio wanted you to see. A great example of this was the example of the Arab Spring. Since broadcasting from the countries in the Middle East was blocked, individuals took it upon themselves to upload first person accounts of what was going on. This allowed the world to see what was actually going on behind the veil. This also allowed individuals that shared the same beliefs and values to have a means of keeping up to date with the cause.  

                Although YouTube is a great tool for users, companies have moved in on it as well. Advertising is the largest way that YouTube makes a profit. Whether it is advertisements before the video you would like to watch plays, or suggested videos from the advertiser, a quick browse of the website shows a clear influence from advertising. Although this does bring profit to the website, I believe that it is influencing the original goal of the website, to share information to others around the world through video accounts. By bringing video advertisements, you no longer have the pleasure of just enjoying what another individual has posted. In some ways, YouTube has gone the route of the media giants of the past, bringing in tons of commercials to plague the media pieces originally intended to be watched. Although I do think it is a good way for YouTube to make money, I feel that it takes away from the intended goal. At the end of the day, YouTube is a newcomer in the media industry, but is making strides that the giants of the past could only dream of achieving.