14 June 2009

YouTube Is More Than Keyboard Cat Videos

Until recently, I didn't spend much time on YouTube. I would go there when someone sent me a link to a funny video they had seen, and that was it. It wasn't the first site that sprang to mind if I was searching for something. To me, it was the home of goofy videos that kids recorded in their bedrooms and bootleg videos that would get taken down as soon as the copyright holders found out they were on the site.

Lately, my view of YouTube has undergone a change. It started with C1, who is now a rising 7th grader and into keeping up with her classmates. I noticed that whenever it would be her turn to use the internet, she spent most of it watching music videos on YouTube. When I went to look at a few of these videos myself, I found that they were official high-quality videos instead of grainy screen captures. Apparently, artists and record companies are creating their own channels on YouTube themselves. Where I had MTV, my kids have YouTube.

Another hidden gem on YouTube is instructional videos. I've spent most of this weekend watching videos about transitioning to natural hair, something that I've tried to do several times over the years. I've learned so much from the hair videos I've already watched, and I haven't even scratched the surface of what is available. I've also found videos on knitting, makeup, and cooking.

So if you haven't truly investigated what YouTube has to offer, I suggest you give it a try. To me, it is like your average thrift store. To get a good deal, sometimes you have to dig through a lot of junk.

1 comment:

Hailey @ Me and My Boys said...

Yeah, I'm not much of a YouTube watcher either, but I've heard the same thing. A friend of mine actually learned how to fix something in his car from one of those instructional videos. So he only spent maybe $100 on parts, when he would've spent $400 at a car shop. Sounds good to me!