Final Proposal: The YouTube Experience

In all my research, I could not find many articles that could truly help grasp what is YouTube, and it’s function and I think that speaks volumes. Although, I will be utilizing articles and journals that attempt to explain the Phenomenon of this platform, none of it truly accomplishes what I wish to understand and what I aim to do, but the one community is which I feel encompasses the ideology of YouTube is the beauty volggers.      

What I wish to learn and expose about the YouTube platform is what makes it so powerful and allows it to have such an influence. Though many people aim to mock beauty volggers and what they do, it is no secret that they are one the most popular group of individuals on YouTube. Why is that? “Beauty volggers reveal intimate things about themselves and actively engage in the practice of self-representation while filming. “[1] They don’t aim to hide who they are, in almost all beauty related videos the subject is bare face no make no nothing and then as the video progress they have embarked on a journey that transforms who they are physically, and to some that stands as a representation of how they wish to perceived that day.

My goals and my aims are not to become a beauty volgger with this project but rather to imitate the transformative journey in a more internal way. To embark on a journey with and audience to be my true self and how relatable that can be for some. “YouTube is a tool with which, and a space in which, people can transform themselves, and in doing so create communities which can work together to publicly challenge social norms.” [2] I wish to break the social norm of Hijabi women being oppressed and submissive. I wish to break the social norm that we aren’t independent strong and ambitious individuals. In away, I wish to continue what I began with my documentary “Hijabi World” I want to spread a message that doesn’t stop after six minutes and twenty -seven seconds. I want full creative control over the content being produced.

With this project I am going to attempt to do just that; alongside with seeing how the content I produce serves a community, and what possible influence it may have. Through my research I have come to realize one thing though, YouTube has two forms in which content is ejected to audiences, in either in an episodic or formative way  “The episodic video goes viral immediately, there is a viral “storm” that takes place as it quickly spreads from viewer to viewer, website to website, drowning out the daily viral chatter as it gets its “fifteen minutes of fame” (or whatever is the viral equivalent). The formative video goes viral slowly, much like a cloud gathering steam on a hot summer day, it’s impact takes shape over months until it is a thundercloud, towering over other videos that pop up and then die down.”[3] So in other terms I can either gain a community and following overnight or over a period of time.

For me this will be interesting because, I am already out there. To see how that would transform over onto a new platform is also something I would also like to explore. How does one go from a semi-viral video on Facebook to a content creator on YouTube. That I also anther realm I wish to understand and explore. Going back to the beauty volggers, their audience demographic ranges from you girls and boys to some in their 40s. Not to leave out that although majority of the volggers themselves are in their 20s, some are as young as 13 while others are mothers who may be in their late 30s early 40s. So what I am aiming to get at, that there is really no set demographic, though they’re maybe a certain community that dominates, YouTube caters to all and has no set demographic. Although, popular culture make be the mainstream it is certainly not the only stream. “Their performance on YouTube not only communicates a desired identity, but through their performance they realize their identity. The process of filming and the visual process of constructing or transforming their self on camera through makeup brings the subject into being.”[4] The reason why I keep referencing to the beauty volggers is because the represent a specific community and so do I.

My project encompasses catering to a community and to analyze what being myself has as an impact on a community. How does relating to people on a virtual platform transform into their daily lives, and how that can summarize the power of YouTube as a platform.

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[1] Kennedy, Ümit. "Exploring Youtube As A Transformative Tool In The "The Power Of MAKEUP!" Movement." M/C Journal 19.4 (2016): 1. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 25 Oct. 2016.

[2] Kennedy, Ümit. "Exploring Youtube As A Transformative Tool In The "The Power Of MAKEUP!" Movement." M/C Journal 19.4 (2016): 1. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 25 Oct. 2016.

[3] Kavoori, Anandam. "Making Sense Of Youtube." Global Media Journal: American Edition 13.24 (2015): 4.Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 25 Oct. 2016

[4] Kennedy, Ümit. "Exploring Youtube As A Transformative Tool In The "The Power Of MAKEUP!" Movement." M/C Journal 19.4 (2016): 1. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 25 Oct. 2016.