Youtube: The New Reality TV?

What are you doing on February 14th 2015? Perhaps you are one of the millions of individuals that make up the 62% of adults celebrating Valentines Day? This February 14th Google employees will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of the video-sharing social media website, Youtube.

Throughout the last decade the Youtube community has grown, so much so that there are currently more than a billion users worldwide visiting the site every month.

One of the most popular types of videos featured on Youtube are video blogs, or better known as the abbreviated term “vlogs”. Although there are no specific guidelines for these types of videos, vlogs tend to show a user’s experience on a particular day or event. Some Youtubers make vlogging their career, uploading daily vlogs to their accounts and acquiring money through advertisements on their videos.

Many well-known vloggers on Youtube  prefer to live in major cities, such as Los Angeles or London. One couple, Jesse and Jeana, decided to move right into our backyard in Philadelphia where they pursued a career in daily vlogging. Their channels, BFvsGF and PrankvsPrank, have millions of subscribers and it just so happens that Jeana is a Rowan alumni! You can join Jeana on her graduation day from Rowan in this vlog:  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE4W8aYaq7o). Most of the videos Jeana and Jesse upload are sure to make you laugh and, at minimum, smile. Their vlogs include their lives living in the city of brotherly love with their adorable cats and bringing us all along their crazy adventures.

The world of vlogging closely resembles the world of reality television in the sense that both showcase a particular lifestyle to a wide audience. While reality television tends to highlight the dramatic segments of someone’s life, many vloggers are reluctant to show negative footage. It is true that through vlogs viewers can gain insight on a Youtuber’s life, but only through the moments they choose to share.  Now while vlogs may be seen as the modern reality tv, it is no way a true representation of a Youtuber’s real life. A 20-minute vlog is only 20 minutes our of 24 hours of a vloggers day; there is a lot that goes on in that individual’s life for the other 23 hours and 40 minutes and that is important to remember.

Also like reality tv, vlogs can become addicting-ly entertaining making them binge-watch-worthy in the matter of minutes. Some popular vlogging channels to spend your downtime watching are Shaytards, SacconeJolys, and DailyBumps. If you enjoy watching a specific Youtuber’s videos, make sure to check and see if they themselves have a vlogging channel also so you can get to know them better!

As for whether or not vlogging will indefinitely replace reality tv, who knows! All we know now is that they sure are enjoyable to watch for the time being!