YouTube A Candid Camera For Our Generation

By Camille Beredjick

Published: May 2, 2008

As a self-proclaimed "average teenager," I'm going to go out on a limb and make a statement that my peers will surely chastise me for: YouTube.com is the root of all evil.

I hesitate to say such a thing because YouTube has become a dominant aspect of my generation's culture. Nearly every one of my friends is recognizable in some video clip or another, and we've all experienced the magic of late-night Internet boredom that leads to random YouTube searches.

Every teen has a favorite video that they watch daily, just for the humorous pick-me-up. My 14-year-old brother, for example, idolizes a clip of the world's fastest clapper (12 per second!), while I constantly click back to instructional videos showing step-by-step directions for obscure line dances. The use of the word "YouTube" has even morphed into a verb: "Did you record that kid break dancing in the cafeteria this morning?" "Yeah, I already YouTubed it. Lol."

But it seems like the youthful generation responsible for YouTube's success has taken advantage of its brilliant convenience, unwilling to accept that with every login comes great responsibility.

By now, we've all heard about the cheerleaders in Polk County who allegedly beat up their friend, then intended to proudly post a video of it on YouTube as a trophy. They're being punished accordingly, but one has to wonder what the greater crime is: blatantly assaulting a peer, or going the extra mile and basking in the glory of such violence by sharing the experience with the world?

Sadly, these teenagers are not alone in the search for social praise via YouTube.

Far too many use YouTube as a forum for slander, a perfect opportunity to publicize the faults of their peers. Victims range from that kid in school everyone avoids to unpopular teachers to unsuspecting friends.

For example, a YouTube search for "drunk kid" pulls up 6,080 results. "Crazy teacher" brings up 2,500 clips, most of which were probably taken on a cell phone during class, and "school fight" shows 30,800.

Perhaps those confused about the ethics of YouTube should seek advice from the generation who understands the benefits of such a site: adults.

Yes, I dared say it - the grown-ups, older and wiser than we disgruntled youth, are putting YouTube's advantages to good use by posting and searching for videos with merit, as opposed to pure innuendo.

Millions of videos on YouTube have massive educational potential that has yet to be discovered. My father, a businessman in the food industry and official YouTube addict, uses the site to watch demonstrations of food preparation, from archived cooking shows to the steak-cutting techniques of professional chefs.

The number of "how-to" videos on the site is listed as "millions," so those who waste countless hours browsing YouTube could instead use the time to learn a new and interesting skill: Moonwalking? Solving a Rubik's cube? Charging an iPod using electrolytes and an onion? It's all there.

YouTube has the potential to completely change the way we learn and communicate, but only if it's used properly, a skill that today's teenagers could very well learn from their parents.

Whether you YouTube for music videos, how-to clips or the proper technique for "cranking dat Soulja Boy," please, view responsibly.

Camille Beredjick is a junior at Chamberlain High School.