When my parents told me we were switching from basic cable to limited cable in seventh grade, I thought the worst of it. Losing my beloved Disney Channel, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network seemed unbearable then. Now, the channels on TV seem too lackluster and my TV is used less and less every day. While I enjoy catching up on shows such as “Glee” and “How I Met Your Mother,” after those shows, I cannot sit much longer flipping through channels or looking for something to watch on TV Guide.
Nowadays, if I ever crave entertainment, I go on YouTube, click on the simply placed, polite, little search box and I get to choose something I want to watch. YouTube videos are just as much entertainment as a TV show, just bundled up into a short, sweet and randomized package. They get to the point and do not leave you hanging on the last plot twist.
There is an endless amount of content on YouTube that can spark anyone’s interest. Literally, the content on YouTube is virtually infinite. According to YouTube, nearly eight years of content is uploaded daily. This leaves out the time waiting to record or watch one show on TV, any video on YouTube is available at any time, and there is such a variety that you will not run out of something to watch. There are news updates, tutorials and even workout videos. The right YouTube video can teach something you would never expect to learn or be good at.
Besides this, TV has gotten worse and worse over the years and I do not think it is worth spending so much money on cable anymore. Take Disney Channel, none of the new shows have a valid representation of a real person. Where are the Lizzie McGuires and Raven Baxters of this generation? Though Raven was a psychic, she was still more realistic than the characters on Disney today. Most of the characters on Disney shows today are either geniuses, overzealous kids who make it into show business, or sadly, dogs that have blogs. The worst part is that kids think the characters on these shows are real, everyday people.
YouTubers are usually slightly more “out-there” people but they are genuine and not as crazy as characters on reality TV, Disney, or documentaries such as “My Strange Addiction.” Everyone can relate to someone on YouTube. On YouTube, there are normal people who vlog about their problems of internet obsession and instances with social awkwardness, people with a passion for music or video, gamers, gurus and so many more types of people. The best YouTubers are hilariously opinionated and committed to making their audience happy.
YouTube even has a variety of shows that have been made into a series, much like TV. From cooking shows like Epic Chef to talent competitions like Internet Icon, shows produced on YouTube are hilariously made and the quality is close to being better than TV. In addition to these shows, there are also news channels such as SourceFed, which make news interesting for younger viewers by reviewing a mix of real world news and celebrity gossip.
TV has been infected with reality TV shows, long commercials, and unreal characters for too long. YouTube gives the luxury of pausing a video without having to pay ridiculous amounts of money for DVR, shorter commercials that do not appear in the middle of a video and, last but not least, content and people that can appeal to anyone. YouTube has the potential to go so much further than TV and unlike TV shows, YouTube will never get old.