An anthropological introduction to YouTube

Added: Jul 26, 2008

Duration: 55:34

presented at the Library of Congress, June 23rd 2008. This was tons of fun to present. I decided to forgo the PowerPoint and instead worked with students to prepare over 40 minutes of video for the 55 minute presentation. This is the result. more info: http://mediatedcultures.net 0:00 Introduction, YouTube's Big Numbers 2:00 Numa Numa and the Celebration of Webcams 5:53 The Machine is Us/ing Us and the New Mediascape 12:16 Introducing our Research Team 12:56 Who is on YouTube? 13:25 What's on Youtube? Charlie Bit My Finger, Soulja Boy, etc. 17:04 5% of vids are personal vlogs addressed to the YouTube community, Why? 17:30 YouTube in context. The loss of community and "networked individualism" (Wellman) 18:41 Cultural Inversion: individualism and community 19:15 Understanding new forms of community through Participant Observation 21:18 YouTube as a medium for community 23:00 Our first vlogs 25:00 The webcam: Everybody is watching where nobody is ("context collapse") 26:05 Re-cognition and new forms of self-awareness (McLuhan) 27:58 The Anonymity of Watching YouTube: Haters and Lovers 29:53 Aesthetic Arrest 30:25 Connection without Constraint 32:35 Free Hugs: A hero for our mediated culture 34:02 YouTube Drama: Striving for popularity 34:55 An early star: emokid21ohio 36:55 YouTube's Anthenticity Crisis: the story of LonelyGirl15 39:50 Reflections on Authenticity 41:54 Gaming the system / Exposing the System 43:37 Seriously Playful Participatory Media Culture (featuring Us by blimvisible: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yxHKgQyGx0) 47:32 Networked Production: The Collab. MadV's "The Message" and the message of YouTube 49:29 Poem: The Little Glass Dot, The Eyes of the World 51:15 Conclusion by bnessel1973 52:50 Dedication and Credits (Our Numa Numa dance) The Numa Numa quote is from *Douglas* Wolk (not Gary Wolk as I mistakenly said in the talk).

Channel: Education

Tags: anthropology digital ethnography ksudigg presentation youtube

Rating: 4.86 (2120 ratings) Views: 627292' favoriteCount='4557 Comments: 25

SportsNewsNow Says:

Nov 10, 2008 - 55 min video!?!?!?!

sligosky Says:

Nov 11, 2008 - I watched it all the way thru [thank god for the holiday and the illusion of free time], this piece of work is amazing.

supra401 Says:

Nov 12, 2008 - beautiful

clemence123 Says:

Nov 12, 2008 - Interesting video. Sounds like an homage to youtube. A shame it's not translated

tukutai Says:

Nov 13, 2008 - Not the biggest there is a video that is 76 minutes.

mileyawesome4ever Says:

Nov 13, 2008 - 56 min OMG the first video that I see thst last 56!

fatskinnyy Says:

Nov 13, 2008 - this is an amazing piece of work thanks to Dr Wesch and the other students for all the hard work put into making this. i've learnt so much :)

funnyafghanwedding Says:

Nov 13, 2008 - hey quick question, this is for anthropology but how do you guys think youtube, specifically the comment area is significant to the youtube experience i mean do you anticipate reading other ppl's comments? or getting into discussion?

Melwood89 Says:

Nov 14, 2008 - this was really long

yellowdot01 Says:

Nov 14, 2008 - There will be a day when history is made faster then we can preceed it! well, that day as came. F. Loyd Wright as predicted a sistems of villages in a great net. WRight on! But you're completly right, de sistem and amplitude of relations IS changing. Good luck in your findings!

bienbuon Says:

Nov 15, 2008 - Excellent Presentation

jagaarj Says:

Nov 15, 2008 - I'm from Mongolia. That was great presentation. I'm gonna prepare presentation like this at my school Mongolian Computer science management school. Thk you very much. Dr.wesch

MuggleSam Says:

Nov 16, 2008 - Amazing! I feel like doing the Numa Numa dance now :)

prodigy00073 Says:

Nov 16, 2008 - Im doing an assignment on this video :)

jobortszz Says:

Nov 16, 2008 - holy shit this is the longest video in youtube awesome

levilisko Says:

Nov 17, 2008 - really insightful video

Singingbelle27 Says:

Nov 18, 2008 - Wow That was awesome. I do think an anthropological point can be made regarding people like myself who do not own a video camera of any kind, and are meerly watchers and 'favorite'ers, forced to reply only in the 'text comments' box... A purer YouTube audience? Just my thoughts :)

neolusion1 Says:

Nov 18, 2008 - thank you Prof.mwesch, you provided a very good subject matter for research, I'am studying in UK from Malaysia in Film studies. It is very interesting just by this post you voluntarily became my lecture, that plays a part in my education. great insights

peterclay999 Says:

Nov 19, 2008 - wow, when my friend sent me a 55 minute video, I gave him a hard time, saying I would never watch it... I did... very cool!!! It even has applications towards my job!

AnthropologyIsGay Says:

Nov 20, 2008 - And Fazzino is a douche. Fuck you UAF. Also cocks

progvortex Says:

Nov 21, 2008 - Wow I watched the whole thing. Amazing

jeissonvm Says:

Nov 21, 2008 - wod mornigc

TodaysB34st Says:

Nov 22, 2008 - 55 minutesz1!!!

danielbenayun Says:

Nov 22, 2008 - your a genius, thank you

Anyadat Says:

Nov 22, 2008 - Hi, I'm a student at Budapest Business School Collage of International Management & Business, I'm just writing my thesis - it's on the comparison of online and offline media (more from a business perspective rather than anthropology) - you're videos really help and inspire my work. Thanks! (If I would have a webcam, I'd post a video reply but I don't... :D)