temadaily

YouTubers: role models for our generation

Laura Mooney
Arts Editor | ote-arts@unbc.ca

hese days, when a twenty-something
Tine on his or her computer, a large
percentage of them automatically punch
the familiar words “YouTube” into the
search bar without even having to think
it over. The insanely popular online video
website has become such a large part of our
generation’s lives that we do not stop to
think about how much time we spend on it
everyday, even if it is more than some of us
would like to admit. Amongst the infinite
amounts of cat videos and wannabe singers,
there lies some poignancy. All it takes is a
little digging.

while YouTube, to some, may only

appear as an outlet for a person’s own self
involvement, over the years it has evolved
into a hub for those particular people to
branch out creatively and express their
personal opinions for the world to see.
These people that we see everyday have
become our source of entertainment and
method of gaining information about

the world around us. One could argue

that these online personas are rapidly
becoming the role models for the upcoming
generations, and in some cases, rightly so.

Now, while many may not agree with the
idea of an entire generation modeling
themselves after strangers they see online,
these YouTubers are providing unique
views of the world that viewers cannot see
anywhere else, and much of the content
surpasses what is shown on television in
terms of quality.

When was the last time you turned on the
television and saw a reality show about a
family actually getting along? One YouTube
family in particular has been setting the
standard for family values for over five
years now with their daily vlogs. The
ShayTards, which is run by aman named
Shay Butler, is a daily vlog channel that
features a Mormon family with husband
Shay, his wife, and their five incredibly
vivacious and talented children. The
family’s daily vlogs showcase a family that
have truly put their lives online, with the
viewers being a part of two childbirths and
even across country move. The realness
of the videos is something that one could
never see if they simply turned on the
television, with the majority of family
based reality television featuring the likes
of the Kardashians or the Vanderpumps,

it is a benefit to see what an actual family
looks like, providing a great role model for

a variety of ages.

Even when it comes to receiving the

daily events of the world, one can turn

to YouTube instead of any of the news
channels to get in the know. Long time
YouTuber Philip DeFranco, has been
delivering his own comedic account

of the news for over five years now, all
while making sure he get the point across
and maintaining a generally unbiased
viewpoint. On his self- titled channel,
DeFranco takes on the most popular stories
but adds in a flare not seen on a cable news
station. This flare not only makes the news
more entertaining for viewers of university
age, but is doing a great service by enticing
younger viewers to begin to take notice of
the events occurring in the world around
them, with many of his viewers being under
17. DeFranco, along with other YouTube
reporters, are providing the model for
young people everywhere, telling them that
it pays to be aware of world issues, because
let us face it, when the news comes from
someone closer to your own age, you are
much more likely to pay attention.

YouTube is also is a goldmine for talented,
undiscovered people who have just enough
guts to put their talents up online for

the world to see. The amount of singers,
comedians, and dancers all over YouTube
is endless, and showcases how a perfectly
average person can make it big, just like
any other celebrity one sees on television.
Bo Burnham is one great example of a teen
that started off with only a camera anda
great sense of comedic timing. Burnham
filmed his own comedic songs in his room,
including “Rehab Center for Fictional
Characters,” and posted them on the site.
Burnham’s original videos now have over
ten million views each and have allowed
him to pursue a professional career in
comedy, with his stage show and book of
comedic poems. While this type of success
is not common for many performers on
YouTube, the ones who have made it big,
like Burnham, are still as down to earth as
the day they posted their first video, and
have managed to remain out of trouble,
unlike the celebrity singers we see today. So
although the majority of the world may not
be ready to fully make the switch to having
YouTube as their primary media source, as
far as taking over the role of role models,

it seems as though the people on YouTube
are a much better option, and will soon
take over as the idols for the upcoming
generations.