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Communication constitutes an important aspect of an era and the people who practice it. Different forms of communication existed in the past, including songs and dances, religious ceremonies, myths and storytelling, poetry, and art represented on statues. Modern forms of communication are complex in nature, and are widely referred to as the media. Nick Couldry defines media as a set of organizations and structures that create and distribute specific content (2). However, the media also delineates the content itself. With new developments in technology, digital media and the use of Internet platforms, such as YouTube have become popular modes of passing information.
In 2005, three former employees of PayPal created YouTube with the goal of removing procedural barriers in sharing of videos via the Internet (Burgess and Green 1). Therefore, the developers created an easy-to-use interface in which users could post, publish, and watch streaming videos without any prior knowledge or technical expertise. With no limitation on the number of videos that one can upload as well as easy-to-share links, YouTube has become one of the most preferred online platforms for sharing videos. Even though the business practices of YouTube are favorable to many, they also discourage other parties from participation. This paper focuses on the culture created by YouTube and the criticisms that its business practices has attracted over the years. While the platform facilitates access to limitless content, fosters participation, acts as a virtual library, and upholds intellectual property, it has come under sharp criticism for perpetuating unequal distribution of value and profiting from content infringement.
Access to Unlimited Video Clips
As an Internet platform, YouTube enables viewers to access video clips on different issues, including television news with live coverage. At the same time, it allows users to post their video clips. According to a research carried out by Lucas Hiderbrand in 2007, YouTube provides a user-friendly interface that contributes to the clip culture (49). Hiderbrand argues that users accessing YouTube are not required to log in to watch video clips. In addition they do not have to worry about software compatibility and file downloads. This is because, on the page, several videos appear with an easy-to-scroll bar that enables one to move easily from one video clip to another by a simple click without having to carry out multiple searches on a specific topic. Besides, the choice and quality of the audio-visual clip depends on the thumbnails attached to the video. Alternatively, one can make use of the total views that the video has attained. Such features make YouTube a clip-cultured interface since viewers can access their video of interest with much ease.
Figure 1. YouTube interface (Source: Yahoo images)
With the above attributes, the YouTube platform has nurtured an emerging temporal satisfaction among its audiences (Hiderbrand 49). Additionally, the play screen specifies how far the video can play the moment the video is selected. The high level of contentment among YouTube frequenters has contributed significantly to the clip culture. Majority of users feel satisfied with the services provided and, as such, would also want to make videos and upload them to the platform. This can happen as soon as the video is captured. However, access to historical clips is not always guaranteed. At times, users upload videos that they have no rights of ownership. In such instances, the owners request the immediate removal of the video clip in question. This becomes a challenge for those users who missed some important events and would want to view the videos associated with them.
The Culture of Participation
YouTube also encourages individuals, groups, and companies to broadcast their content, which has promoted the culture of participation. According to Jean and Green, YouTube has witnessed an increasing number of participants due to its soft way of governance as well as rules and regulations that are fit and attractive for anyone to abide by (5). YouTube’s success is largely attributable to the fact that its management does not target a particular market like similar platforms. For this reason, therefore, YouTube has sustained growth in the numbers of users keen on taking part. Majority of the participants are aged between 13 and 35. In addition, companies and financial institutions and strategic investors spend heavily to acquire multichannel networks on YouTube for purposes of participation by using advertisements and making new connections (Mueller 5). For instance, Google made a massive investment into Machinima, a YouTube network channel specializing in vibrant and addictive games. Due to the nature of games that the site offers to its users, Machinima enjoys a large share of users who grow with each passing day.
As noted by Mueller, the upward trend in participation in media by YouTube users nurtures an informed understanding and appreciation of beliefs as well as the organizations that enhance its creation (5). Furthermore, the participatory culture that characterizes YouTube triggers the stimulation of user-independent ideals of equity in relation to access, expression, and representation. This is evident in YouTube’s nature of governance, where the rules governing its use lower the requirements for an average person’s participation. The culture of participation is further enhanced by the provision of monetary partnership platforms that enable active YouTube users with accounts that have posted popular content to the public to earn a profit for the views generated. Additionally, users are free to engage with different people of like minds in sharing knowledge and learning from one another. Besides, the platform provides expertise of varied nature to users at the comfort of their homes.
YouTube as a Virtual Library
Over the years, YouTube has acted as an online video library that a user has free access to at anytime and in all corners of the globe. Since this platform has no specific target market, it holds a broad range of videos on diverse topics. According to Hiderbrand, different media houses, such as the Cable News Network (CNN) have video clips covering historical events ranging from the space shuttle explosion of 1986 to the recording of the police flogging a man in Los Angeles in1991, all thanks to YouTube (50). It would be virtually impossible for many people to access such videos if they were not available on the YouTube platform. Besides, the presence of other video clips and recordings of famous television series, communal activities, family events, and video sharing constitute a cultural memory., For most people, an assortment of past events, programs activities, and games make up memories. Owing to the dynamic nature of YouTube, users can readily find information that may remind them of their childhood or other important events.
At times, however, users may not be satisfied with the content they find on YouTube due to the poor quality of the video stream in some parts of the world, especially those with low Internet signal. Consequently, archive keepers and librarians have criticized YouTube for allowing low-quality and all types of videos on their platform, citing the fear that with time, traditional archives and libraries may be rendered inappropriate (Hiderbrand 54). On the contrary, such claims are considered by Hiderbrand (54) as a mere perception of You Tube’s popularity and prevalence for video uploads and streams that only stop when deactivated. Overall, the large pool of videos on present and past events make YouTube to be considered an online portal of cultural memory.
YouTube and Intellectual Property
YouTube has also created the culture of copyright claims and ownership among its users. The copyright set by YouTube lays down guidelines concerning the ownership of content that one posts. The recent past has witnessed an increase in piracy of content across the world, a trend that raises the threat of legal suits against YouTube by the legitimate owners of the content. In March 2007, for instance, Viacom filed a suit against YouTube concerning clips of Viacom’s properties that were running on the platform after unsuccessful efforts to have them removed (VerSteeg 43). Such scenarios are likely to arise with the increased number of music remixes and mixes by people who do not own the rights of audio and video clips.
To address such concerns, YouTube has developed a copyright claim policy that encourages its users to post new and original content for purposes of culture improvement. Cultural improvement results from YouTube’s profit benefits towards users who post innovative pieces of work fit for public use. However, scholars argue that copyright laws are subject to court decisions, which may be biased at one point. Therefore, whenever a copyright dispute arises between the content and the rights’ owner, the uploaded content is pulled down from YouTube. The removal of digital content inconveniences other users who may want to access it. Although such challenges abound, the culture of copyright claims has been embraced and adopted by content developers. Digital content innovators can regulate the circulation of their own works, more so in the music and film industry.
Criticisms
Although YouTube as an Internet platform facilitates the interaction of cultures and exchange of ideas, the abundance and diversity of information forces one to choose what to watch (Burgess and Green 11). For instance, there is unequal distribution of value concerning certain content. Some works enjoy a large number of visitors due to the inherent promotions while others do not. Moreover, some digital content that is deemed unsuitable is often prohibited. Consequently, the participatory culture comes into question because some people may prefer the information pushed aside by YouTube on grounds of being inappropriate. While such content may move through the social network, it may not be acceptable on YouTube. This discourages the will of participation among enthusiasts.
Moreover YouTube’s methods, procedures, and process are contentious, especially with both the old media as well as most of the active members of the YouTube social media. While some companies like Warner and Universal Music have partnerships with YouTube, others like Viacom repel its business practices, arguing that it profits from infringing on other people’s content (Burgess and Green 5). Some critics fear using YouTube due to the inability to exercise full control of movement and delivery of their content. In addition, many active YouTube users are unhappy with the commercial pop-ups within content that is privately generated. This discomfort experienced by both companies and individual YouTube users generates uncertainties relating to the purpose and use of the platform in the contemporary world. The culture related to YouTube results from the interaction of diverse s societal and financial values produced by users through their use, assessment, and business activities. Some parties may never want to partner or join YouTube owing to its multifaceted nature.
Conclusion
In the modern era, technology has made communication easy through the use of the Internet. Various platforms that exist on the Internet aid in communication. YouTube is one of the fastest growing and used platforms worldwide. As a media firm, YouTube has provided a platform for collecting and disseminating content. Thus, it provides a suitable avenue for quick and easy access of content from around the world. Owing to its nature of operation, YouTube has a set culture that defines the terms of use, including the uploading and downloading of clips, personal broadcasts, participation, and copyright. Each culture is attributed to the flexible governance of YouTube that makes it easy for anyone to be part of the YouTube community. This has resulted in an increase in the number of users who can develop their own content and legally distribute it without fear of lawsuits. On the other hand, critics such as Viacom have vilified and even sued YouTube for running content without express permission. Such companies as well as some active members of the YouTube social network community are often reluctant to partner with YouTube, noting the lack of control and unnecessary pop-ups on privately developed content. Despite these shortcomings, the platform’s popularity continues to grow, especially among young users. .
Works Cited
Burgess, Jean, and Joshua Green. YouTube: Online Video and Participatory Culture. John Wiley & Sons, 2013.
Hilderbrand, Lucas. "YouTube: Where Cultural Memory and Copyright Converge." FILM QUART, vol. 61, no. 1, 2007, pp. 48-57.
Mueller, Bryan. “Participatory Culture on YouTube: A Case Study of the Multichannel Network Machinima.” Diss. London School of Economics and Political Science, Aug. 2013, https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/71ab/ec0a8a50b47113e768bb8f8a5d3b0ad593c8.pdf. Accessed 25 Nov. 2017.
Nick Couldry. Media, Society, World: Social Theory and Digital Media Practice. Polty, 2012.
VerSteeg, Russ. "Viacom v. YouTube: Preliminary Observations." North Carolina Journal of Law & Technology. Vol. 9, no. 1 2007, pp. 43-68.
Youtube Interface.–“Skylikes Yahoo Image Search Results." Uk.Images.Search.Yahoo.Com, 2017,https://uk.images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=AwrIRlg9QRhachgAJJJ3Bwx.?p=youtube+interface&fr=yhs-skylikes-newtab&fr2=piv-web&hspart=skylikes&hsimp=yhs-newtab&type=comoima#id=6&iurl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FaElKkApHjIk%2Fmaxresdefault.jpg&action=click. Accessed 25 Nov. 2017.