The document discusses the evolution of media platforms from camcorders to YouTube and social media. It notes that in the 1990s, camcorders were widely used to record home videos that people would watch on VHS tapes. America's Funniest Home Videos became a popular TV show that showcased these amusing recordings. As VHS declined, people found other ways to view home videos, such as connecting camcorders directly to TVs. Today, YouTube and apps have replaced camcorders, with people now able to easily upload and watch videos online from many devices. A variety of video types are popular on YouTube, from comedy to tutorials.

1. Media Platform
Evolution & Impact
Dawann Jones, MBBS
May 15th 2022
Popular Culture in Media

2. • The influence of YouTube has
prompted many individuals to
showcase their lives and interest
to the masses while turning a
profit at the same time. When I
first heard of YouTube, it was
from my friend’s Aunt. She was
telling me about all the funny
cat videos, slip-and-fall dance
videos, the “Charlie bit my
finger”video and stuff off that
nature.
• Today, there are cat videos, how-
to’s, family vloggers, various
learning courses, credit score
tips/tricks, haux, stunts, comedy
standups, gamers playing games,
and the list goes on and on.

3. •I remember growing
up in the 90s, almost
every parent had a
camcorder. If you
haven’t been to a
party where the
parent had a camera
the same size of the
birthday cake, you’ve
missed out on some
embarrassing times.

4. • Camcorders, back then,
seemed like an endless
innovation that would never
end. This hi-tech camera,
depending on the model,
even came with a VHS tape
that you could insert into a
VHS cassette to watch at
home which were known as
home videos. Camcorders
made home videos so
popular that America’s
Funniest Home Videos (1989)
was made just to showcase
these family-based moments.

5. R.I.P. Bob Saget (1956-2022)
• According to Halterman (2022) “It’s
hard to remember a time when
Americans didn’t have social media to
share their funny and embarrassing
filmed moments. But 30 years ago,
the main destination for revealing
those laugh-and-cringe recordings
(wedding mishaps! outrageous falls!)
was ABC’s America’s Funniest Home
Videos” (para. 1).

6. • Then, once then VHS went out of
style, a lot of consumers were left
wondering how “can we watch
our home videos now that VHS
players are gone?”
• Well, before there were USB and
HDMI cords, you could literally
hook a camcorder up to the TV
using these 3 little plug in wires.
RCA Cords

7. Year 2022
• Today, TVs don’t have the plug
ins needed to support those
cables like the ones during the
1990s and 2000s. You can go
on your TV right now and go
to YouTube to watch any video
you want and when it comes
to your own home videos,
there are so many compatible
apps that you don’t even need
a camcorder, let alone cables
anymore. Just a phone, tv,
laptop, smartwatch, tablet,
computer, iPad, etc.

8. Citations/References used:
A. (2019, August 30). A history of the camcorder. Hightower Video Production.
https://www.hightower.video/video-production/a-history-of-the-camcorder/
Brown, C. (2018, October 9). Here Are the Top 10 Most Popular Types of Videos on YouTube. Medium.
https://mag.octoly.com/here-are-the-top-10-most-popular-types-of-videos-on-youtube-4ea1e1a192ac
Camcorder - New World Encyclopedia. (n.d.). New World Encyclopedia.
https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/camcorder
Emmanuele, J. (2022, January 17). Watch America’s Funniest Home Videos’ Bob Saget Tribute: ‘AFV’ Honors
Former Host After His Death. Us Weekly. https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/watch-bob-saget-
tribute-airs-on-americas-funniest-home-videos/
Halterman, J. (2022, January 10). Bob Saget Reflects on “America’s Funniest Home Videos” in 2019 TV Guide
Magazine Interview. TV Insider. https://www.tvinsider.com/832250/americas-funniest-home-videos-30th-
anniversary-bob-saget-tom-bergeron-alfonso-ribeiro/
Harlow, O. (2019, July 17). History of the Camcorder. Legacybox. https://legacybox.com/blogs/analog/history-
of-the-camcorder
Nolfi, J. (2022, March 25). Bob Saget’s family attorney says new police report confirms “the entire story” of Full
House star’s death. EW.Com. https://ew.com/celebrity/bob-saget-death-police-report-family-attorney-
statement/

9. Pictures used:
• https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-holding-space-gray-iphone-5-
34407/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEuRWLgWMjo
• https://www.istockphoto.com/vector/input-rca-audio-video-jacks-
with-cable-gm899449382-248191889
• https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-people-woman-apple-5146493/
• https://www.pexels.com/photo/black-video-camera-on-brown-
wooden-table-67654/