Growing up, I watched a lot of television. I fell in love with various cartoons from the early 2000’s such as “Johnny Bravo” and “Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends,” as well as watching older shows like “The Brady Bunch” and “M*A*S*H.” In my opinion, TV today is nothing like it has been for the last few decades. And while there are many good shows that are airing, there are, however, more and more bad shows making their way onto your channel guide. Television ruled the world for many years, and still remains very successful. However, in 2005 a space pod from a dying planet crashed into the web servers, and delivered to the world a blessing. And that blessing was YouTube.
What started out as a small and fun way to create and share videos with friends, YouTube has quickly blown up into popularity. According to Tubular Insights, there are approximately 500 hours of video uploaded every minute, and as the state and popularity of YouTube continues to skyrocket, there is a problem that comes with it. You see, with more and more being published onto YouTube, it draws users to its website and mobile app constantly. There is never a moment in the day where someone isn’t online browsing videos to their heart’s content. In a survey done by Social Media Today, “68% of those asked said they watched more video content from YouTube than any other platform”.
To some people, there is no use for TV when there is YouTube. If you want news coverage, go online and there seems to be an endless supply of information at your disposal. If you want sports, then look no further than YouTube for all the touchdowns and free throws that you desire. And when it comes to entertainment, there is nowhere else that has as much variety than YouTube. Skits, parodies, original songs, and so much more are all available. And many tune in to create content on the website, as you can make money by making popular videos. It is a very free and friendly environment where you can be yourself and publish what you enjoy, especially as you venture into various Comment Sections. Being open to the community, anyone is able upload content to the website.
The way that you decide what to watch between YouTube and TV is almost the same as choosing what you want to eat. Frozen Lasagna or McDonalds? My 600lb Life or Rosanna Pansino? It is you who decides what to watch, and it is the companies’ job to try and get you to choose them instead of the competition. And it would appear that YouTube attracts the majority, as in a study from Variety, young viewers watch 2.5 more Internet Video than TV. But that does not mean that everyone chooses to watch YouTube and ditch the television networks provided. There is a growing use of and dependence on YouTube in our community. There is less and less need of TV for some individuals that take up all of their free tuning in to what the website has to offer. And to be honest, I hardly tune into TV anymore myself. I mostly nowadays use my time on YouTube, watching news stories and also show episodes daily.
There are, of course, reasons that more choose YouTube instead of television. You can watch YouTube anywhere and anytime, while television is glued to your house depending on your cable company. And there’s another reason, perhaps the most crucial: YouTube is FREE. With TV, you have to pay for cable and the channels that come with it, while YouTube you can tune in at anytime without worrying about paying any “viewer fees.” It is also more open to be a part of it. If you want to be a YouTuber, you just have to start making content. It is a fun and easy way to contribute in your community.
To someone, each of these options is the best choice; it all depends on who you ask. There might never be a definite answer. Sure, there can be charts that draw out the majority, but there would still not be a definitive response to this question. And besides, what is wrong with using both? Lots of people, including myself, use both YouTube and TV daily. And even if I were to use one WAY more than the other, which I do, I still take advantage of having a TV set in my living room. I can surf the channels for TV’s latest dramas, while also surfing the web for more 1000 degree knife videos. So, which is better: YouTube or TV? You decide.