If you saw this post’s title and immediately started singing “video killed the radio star”, you’re on the right track! Except, today, those who “killed the radio star” are now being killed by internet stars (metaphorically, of course!).
It is becoming increasingly more evident that internet videos, those on YouTube in particular, are replacing the entertainment void that was previously quelled by a dose of Saturday morning ‘toons. In fact, there are even channels on YouTube that provide cartoons for children, uploaded every Saturday morning. But what’s great about YouTube is that, with 100 hours of video uploaded to YouTube every minute, there is always a video to fit your entertainment needs. You can watch anything, from beauty how-to’s, daily vlogs, gaming commentary, or music videos (to name a few), and there is endless variety within even those specific categories. According to YouTube Statistics, “YouTube reaches more US adults ages 18-34 than any cable network”, with more than 6 billion hours of video watched each month.
Another fantastic benefit of this TV to Internet transition is the opportunity it has provided for so many people to do what they love, and share it with the world. If you can sing, dance, cook, craft, etc., upload some footage of your killer skills and the people will flock. Heck, you can even make a living out of it, all whilst having fun and providing free entertainment for the world to see. Currently, there are thousands of video creators on YouTube that earn six figures or more each year, and many have been given even more opportunities through their success. Some have appeared on talk shows, interviewed celebrities (even as big as One Direction), or even earned Guinness World record titles (the actual Internet Killed Television channel earned a record for most consecutive daily videos uploaded, currently over 1600 days)!
And while we won’t be seeing the end of TV any time soon, the worlds of TV and Internet-dome are definitely colliding. For example, celebrity judge and music producer Simon Cowell has recently launched the You Generation, a global YouTube talent search, not just in the categories of song and dance, but in any category! The idea is to help the average-Joe get noticed in the mass of videos on YouTube, and give them their boost to success. So far, many of YouTube’s current “celebrities” have worked together with Cowell to advertise and carry out the project. Entertainment is definitely taking a turn in an exciting new direction!
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