Well, let me tell ya somethin’ about this YouTube thing. Folks keep jabberin’ on about whether it’s one of them social medias or not. Now, I ain’t no fancy city slicker, but I got eyes and ears, and I can tell ya what I see.
Is YouTube Social Media? You Betcha!
From what I gather, them smart folks say YouTube’s got, like, a whole heap of people usin’ it. Billions, they say! That’s more folks than I ever seen at the county fair, that’s for sure. And all them people, they ain’t just sittin’ there starin’ at the screen like a buncha cows in a field. They’re doin’ stuff!
- They’re postin’ their own videos, showin’ off their cookin’, their singin’, their silly dances. Just like when we used to have them potlucks and show off our best pies, only now it’s on that there internet thing.
- They’re talkin’ to each other, writin’ in them little boxes below the videos. Sometimes they’re bein’ nice, sometimes they’re arguin’ like cats and dogs. Reminds me of the gossip at the general store, only now it’s all typed out.
- And them videos, they can get real popular, real fast. One minute nobody’s heard of it, the next minute everybody and their grandma is watchin’ it. Kinda like when that big ol’ watermelon rolled down the hill and everyone in town came out to see.
So, if you ask me, that sounds a whole lot like what them city folks call “social media.” It’s all about folks sharin’ stuff and talkin’ to each other. Only difference is, it’s on that there computer screen instead of face-to-face.
But YouTube’s a Bit Different, Ya Know?
Now, I ain’t sayin’ YouTube’s just like all them other social media things, like that Facebook or that Twitter. It’s got its own quirks. See, when you post somethin’ on Facebook, it’s gone in a few days, buried under all the other stuff. But that YouTube stuff, it stays there. Forever, practically. Like a tattoo, but on the internet.
And the videos, they ain’t always short and snappy like them Facebook posts. Some of ’em are long, like a whole movie! And some of ’em are educational, teachin’ you how to fix a leaky faucet or bake a sourdough bread. Which is mighty helpful, let me tell ya.
Why All the Fuss?
So, why are folks even arguin’ about this? Seems pretty clear to me. YouTube’s got the talkin’, the sharin’, the whole shebang. It’s just a different kind of social media, that’s all. Like how a mule is different from a horse, but they both get you where you need to go.
What Them Smart Folks Say
Them fellas with the fancy degrees, they say YouTube has all the important things that make somethin’ social media: folks makin’ their own stuff, folks talkin’ to each other, and things goin’ viral. They say it’s a real powerhouse, whatever that means. Sounds important, though.
And they use it for marketin’ too, them businesses tryin’ to sell ya somethin’. Guess it’s like puttin’ an ad in the newspaper, only fancier. They show you stuff, hoping you’ll buy it.
So, What’s the Bottom Line?
Well, if you ask me, all this fuss about whether YouTube is social media or not is just a buncha hot air. It’s a place where folks can share their stuff, talk to each other, and watch funny cat videos. Sounds pretty social to me. And heck, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s probably a duck, right? Same goes for social media. If it acts like social media, it probably is social media. And YouTube, well, it sure acts like social media to me. So yeah, YouTube is social media, plain and simple.
That’s what I think anyways. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I got a video about growin’ tomatoes to watch.
Tags: [YouTube, Social Media, Online Video, User-Generated Content, Social Networking, Video Sharing, Digital Marketing, Viral Content, Online Community]
