Vlogging: modernized narcissism
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For years people have made money off of the way they look, but it was not until recently that people have started paying the bills by documenting and uploading their everyday lives. Video Blogs, a contemporary phenomenon known in short as “vlogging,” has taken YouTube by storm as of late and consists of content as simple as someone’s daily routine. With millions of subscribers, vlogging could just as easily become an agent for change as it is a way to show off how much pressed juice a Southern Californian can buy in a day.
My bitter generalization aside, vloggers come from all walks of life and from places scattered across not just the United States, but the entire world. Each individual showcasing his or her very own unique existence is condensed into campy video blogs uploaded primarily to YouTube.
Some of the most popular vlogging channels on the video-sharing site are run by parents like Shaytards, RomanAtwoodVlogs and DailyBumps. They depict their family-oriented lifestyles to give viewers that sense of “you are not alone, my kid eats Q-Tips, too.” However, a decently sized chunk of the vlogging community is made up of teenagers either fresh out of or still in high school.
The idea of 17-year-olds wielding handheld cameras and documenting day-to-day excursions may sound almost tedious to sit and watch, but the lives modern-day young adults lead can come as quite the surprise. Using YouTube and their doting sponsors, these teens and 20-somethings afford things like glamorous lofts, high-end wardrobes, luxurious vacations and action-packed weekends all filmed and uploaded for one’s viewing pleasure.
This is where the question lies: could the success and popularity of these vloggers among the YouTube community mean something? Is there a way it could act as a viable career option for students? Does it hold the potential to become an influential way to reach the masses regarding important issues, or is it just a way for the less fortunate to live vicariously through trust-fund babies?
The answer is in the eyes of the be-vlogger. YouTube has enough beauty gurus, shopping fanatics and prank channels to satisfy those that prefer to be numbly entertained. Be that as it may, there happens to be an excess of room to create something that could relate to an audience that is often disregarded by today’s society: the college student.
Relatability is a huge component in the entertainment industry, so making a name for oneself as a collegiate vlogger could end up receiving quite the response. Addressing hurdles that the majority of young adults will eventually have to cross like bargain shopping, living with a roommate or working a part-time job could end up encouraging viewers rather than presenting them with unrelated lifestyles.
Vlogging could even be used as therapy for high school and college students. In this digital age, young adults are often swayed by things that do not require a pen and paper, thus video blogging could replace the therapeutic effects of journaling. Simply speaking out loud about a school day or an existential problem could result in significantly reduced amounts of stress, whether it ends up being uploaded or not.
Yet another aspect of the vlogging community that seems to rarely be utilized is the potential for social influence that a popular video blogger tends to gain. With a fan base as dedicated as those on YouTube tend to be, the power a vlogger is given to create change is vast.
The Internet is a modern-day superpower and if having a mere presence within it could act as kryptonite for injustice, then the countless amount of videos uploaded full of brunch dates and self-tanning appointments need swift replacements. There are things in this world that desperately need to be fought for. Pick up a camera, and maybe that could be you.
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