mwesch, distilled Mindy McAdams 2008 An Anthropological Introduction to YouTube

The majority of videos on YouTube are meant for audiences of less than 100 people. (1:30)

expression community identity

A new type of platform: Before YouTube, it was difficult to upload video to the Web.

invent new ways to connect with each other

“user-generated organization” “user-generated distribution” (9:30)

“ We’re living in a different kind of mediascape.” (11:30)

“Media mediate human relationships.”

“ Community” has been in decline. Place-to-place (old) Person-to-person (new) Personal independence and increased individuality

invisible audience asynchronous

“ context collapse” (22:40)

“Everybody is watching, but nobody is there.” (25:20)

replay, recall, recognition --Marshall McLuhan

hatred as public performance (29:00)

Profound, deep connection with other humans … via YouTube (30:10)

We crave connection, but connection is constraint. (30:50)

Many people report having this profound, deep connection on YouTube. (32:40)

free hugs (33:00)

“YouTube is a platform.” Some people want to get to the top of the heap ( competitive ). (34:50)

Lonelygirl15: YouTube users banded together to discuss her authenticity (like Survivor spoilers, or other acts of collective intelligence). (38:00)

“Everybody’s mad because they got duped ...” “YouTube is not for fake stuff! It’s for real stuff!”

identity

“People start gaming the system to get more views.” (41:50)

You never know where a camera is going to be and when it’s going to be uploaded to YouTube (McCain: “Bomb bomb Iran”). (44:40)

Remixing: Take it, change it, throw it right back.

any remixing is basically illegal

Criminalization of popular culture: Everyone is a pirate.

“ Ordinary people live life against the law.” --Lawrence Lessig

the most responded-to video in the history of YouTube (One World: write on your hand) (48:00)

“ This Web site – this community – helped bring me life again.” --bnessel1973 (52:30)

Supplemental Viewing:

Supplemental Viewing: From Web star to movie star? (USA Today video)

Supplemental Viewing: Where in the Hell Is Matt? (YouTube video)

mwesch, distilled Mindy McAdams 2008 An Anthropological Introduction to YouTube The End