Thoughts on YouTube

Until last summer, I primarily used YouTube to watch funny videos or learn how to do something.  I didn't really give much thought to how this particular form of social media could be used to do some really amazing things.  All of this changed one afternoon when I happened upon a video by Kristina Horner.  Having many common interests, I watched several of her videos and even subscribed to her channel.  Through Kristina, I was inspired to watch videos by Hayley G. Hoover, John Green, Hank Green, and Karen Kavett.  Through this group, I learned that YouTube can be used for lots of great things.

Activism: 
Every year, John and Hank Green encourage their viewers to participate in the Project for Awesome, an event of their own creation.  To participate, all one has to do is make a short video advocating for the charity of his/her choice.  For two days, thousands of viewers from all over the world will watch, share, and vote for the videos they like.  The charities with the highest numbers of votes are given a portion of the money raised during the event.  To raise the money, many YouTubers agree to give away perks to those who give money.  For example, John, a best-selling author, gave away electronic copies of an unpublished book he'd written.
Last year, the Project for Awsome raised almost $400,000. I'm sure the winning charities will use this money to make the world a much better place.  As John and Hank would say, it helped to greatly decrease worldsuck.  Rather than accept the status quo, viewers are encouraged to get out and make a difference.  More importantly, they are taught that you are never too young, too old, or too insignificant to make a difference.
 Many of the YouTubers I've mentioned make it their mission to advocate for causes and to educate their viewers about certain topics.  All of the YouTubers I've mentioned are major advocates for human rights.  Many of them are also very politically active and encourage all of their users to vote and educate themselves about the major issues.

Education:
Many of the YouTubers I watch make education a priority.  Kristina and Hayley have an advice channel, Answerly, in which they, along with Joseph Birdsong, answer questions from viewers and provide information about various topics.  Karen Kavett frequently makes videos educating her viewers about graphic design and crafting.  John and Hank have separate channels just for educating their viewers about certain topics.  In Crash Course, John has taught World History and Literature.  He is currently working through American History.  Hank's educational channel is called Sci Show.  There, he, and many others, teach viewers about interesting science-related topics.

Creation:
All of the YouTubers I've mentioned are very creative.  They are always working on one project or another. Karen frequently posts about various craft and graphic design projects that she's completed.  Hayley and Kristina are working on a book together and often participate in NaNoWriMo every November.  John will often share information about his books, and Hank will share songs that he's written.
My favorite of all the projects is Hank's The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.  The Lizzie Bennet Diaries is an adaptation of Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice.  It's a web series on YouTube, but many of the characters also have Twitter and Tumblr accounts.  In my opinion, it is a wonderful new way to interact with a book that's been loved for generations.  It has also encourage many who haven't read the book to do so.

Communing:
Last, but certainly not least, each of these YouTubers has created a community.  They are able to bring in viewers from all over the world and from various walks in life.  They do this because they talk about things that many people care about.  Because they see that many people care about the same things they do, many viewers are given a sense of belonging.  Without realizing it, all of these YouTubers created a community much larger than they ever imagined.  Because of this, they are able to do much more than they ever imagine as well.

Now that I've shared my story, what's one thing about YouTube, or any social network, that you were pleasantly surprised to discover?
  
Links To The People and Projects I Mentioned: 

• John and Hank Green:       http://www.youtube.com/vlogbrothers
• Kristina Horner:                http://www.youtube.com/kristina
• Hayley Hoover:                 http://www.youtube.com/hayleyghoover
• Answerly:                         http://www.youtube.com/answerly
• Karen Kavett:                   http://www.youtube.com/karen
• The Lizzie Bennet Diaries:  http://www.youtube.com/lizziebennet
• The Project for Awesome:  http://www.youtube.com/p4a
• Crash Course:                   http://www.youtube.com/crashcourse      
• Sci Show:                         http://www.youtube.com/scishow