How YouTube is Forever Changing Our Expectations

300 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every single minute, and it is the world’s third most-visited website just behind Facebook and Google, as cited in an article on The Telegraph. No one would deny that YouTube is a permanent part of our lives. And since its launch in 2006, YouTube has made a massive impact on our society that is forever shifting our expectations, from how we get news to how we learn.

Content

Our patience has taken quite a hit since the invention of Twitter and Facebook where we read in snippets and images. We expect more “snackable content,” that is designed for “simple and flexible audience consumption.” And because content is experiencing an entire overhaul as a result of sites like YouTube, it’s also changing audience expectations. We consume content differently; we want to share it, comment on it, and watch it when we want it and where we want, which is something mainstream networks cannot offer us. Because of this, major networks are forced to rethink their business models if they are to survive the next few years, and time will only tell how this adaption will look.

Stardom

Could you imagine making upwards of $21.9 million a year just by opening toys in front of a video camera? Well, number one top channel according to YouTube statistics monitor Social Blade, DisneyCollectorBR, is doing just that. And there are tons of other success stories just like this. Through YouTube, people have found ways to make money commenting on video games (PewDiePie), working out (Blogilates), and offering tips and tricks on a number of things. In this way, YouTube acts a free way to make money by simply doing what you love, and as a result people’s expectations of how to make it big by doing what they love have shifted.

If you want to make money on YouTube, it is entirely possible; you just need to sign up to be a partner. Being a partner means that you can upload videos and agree to monetize these videos so that ads will appear. Through these ads, you can make money (but expect YouTube to take a 45 percent cut). From there, you can focus on creating unique content and building an audience through social media and regular content.

Journalism

Could it be true that journalists are being replaced by YouTube? Well, yes and no. In one way, yes because anyone can report anything and post it on YouTube (commonly referred to as citizen journalism), and no, because someone still has to determine what’s news worthy and know how to filter fact from fiction. YouTube is notorious for content that is heavily opinioned based, so the journalist’s role is still relevant, but it’s also changing. For example, anyone can share videos of scandalous moments that can wreck political candidates’ careers, like the leak of Mitt Romney’s campaign discussion full of unsavory remarks. YouTube has created a platform for anyone to be newsmakers, but we still need people to verify that news.

Education

It’s no longer necessary to physically meet with a tutor anymore when YouTube offers millions of free tutorials on pretty much everything from statistics to piano. And companies like TakeLessons are taking advantage of this changing model by offering online lessons from professionals who can actually make money of their own by tutoring online. Our expectations have shifted as we know that there’s really no reason to even leave our homes to get quality lessons. Teachers, students and anyone looking to learn a new skill can benefit, but this means that tutoring businesses need to rethink their own approach. Colleges can also learn a lesson from YouTube, using this platform to draw in students through free resources that can also make money for the school and various programs.

In all, YouTube has changed many more facets of our lives than just these, and its full impact has yet to be felt. It’s amazing how one video channel can change so much in one society, but it has and will continue to do so.

This article by Alyssa Sellors was originally published on Social Media Today.