The Evolution of YouTube

533 Words2 Pages

Starting in 2005, YouTube has become an online source of information and media for millions of viewers worldwide. Google bought the site in 2006 for $1.65 billion in stock and since then has only grown larger and more powerful, incorporating advertisements, movies, news broadcasts and most recently music awards. However, with new additions to the videos that include advertisements, company sponsorship and the ability to purchase movies through PayPal has changed the dynamics and environment around this popular site. What started as a simple social media site has turned into one of the most popular ways to advertise and display messages to the public, personalizing advertisements and creating new ways to interact with audiences.
The creators of YouTube, Chad Hurley, Steve Chen and Jawed Karim started as coworkers at PayPal, making them familiar with the workings of a corporation and how to structure new and growing business ideas. The timing for a new media site was perfect, with the popularity of Facebook, audiences were searching for more interactive databases to connect and share information with the world. However, as the site gathered more attention, advertisements began to appear on screen in the corners of videos, beckoning and competing for attention, requiring for the viewer to interact and exit out of the advertisement to regain part of the screen. Slowly, in addition to part of the screen being blocked by advertisements, before videos were shown, short clips of advertisements were shown. Additionally, after viewing a video, the viewer is prompted to select a new video similar to the first, suggesting that based on what they viewed, they may enjoy a selection of others as well. This process is similar to Rushkoff’s Atmospherics of disorientation and the overwhelming the senses. After viewing several videos similar to the first, you loose a sense of where or when you started, gradually unaware of what you wanted to watch in the first place. The music or sounds in addition to the video stimulate the senses, encouraging the viewer to continue watching videos despite the relevance or interest to watch new videos.
Today, YouTube has a variety of layouts. For those viewers who are visiting the site for the first time, the most popular videos or those with the most recent views are displayed first, and then split into categories such as news, music, sports, and individual channels. However, if you have an account with YouTube, the homepage will be tailored to what channels you typically watch, with suggestions of new videos based on what you have watched and liked before.

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