Get Inspired with YouTube
By: Cat Amoriello
We are all familiar with the wonderful world of YouTube. Whether you use it to access music or watch funny cat videos, YouTube offers a variety of channels for users to browse. Not only is YouTube used as a source of entertainment, but it has recently become an educational tool for teachers and professors in the classroom. With nearly 300 hundred hours of new videos being uploaded to YouTube every minute, a lot can be learned from this extensive resource. Although I mostly use YouTube to discover new music, there are three videos I had found on the site that changed my outlook on life in many aspects.
#1: “Why Do We Fall” from YouTube user Mateusz M
(Watch it here: “Why Do We Fall” https://youtu.be/mgmVOuLgFB0)
We all have pivotal moments in our lives when the going gets tough, and we either quit or find the motivation to push forward. These moments can last a day, a week, a month, a year or even a lifetime. It is a given that we will experience hardships, and finding the energy to cope with these difficult times can be both exhausting and frustrating. So, whether you are struggling in school, have plateaued in an athletic career or are just dealing with personal life issues, I suggest watching the YouTube video “Why Do We Fall” posted by Mateusz M. The video is a compilation of motivational quotes accompanied by dramatic images and video clips. Both uplifting and motivating, the video acts as a wake-up call for those who feel stuck somewhere in life and confronts the viewer with the message of, “Don’t like how your life is going? Then change it.” For anyone in need of a little motivational push, this video is the one for you.
#2: “Dove Real Beauty Sketches” from YouTube user Dove US
(Watch it here: “Dove Real Beauty Sketches” https://youtu.be/litXW91UauE)
From my own personal experiences and from spending an extensive amount of time with other girls, I understand all too well the pressure young women feel to fit a certain mold. In this day and age, perfect bodies, hair and skin are valued above everything else. Often times, we as women focus on what we do not have rather than on what we do have. Dove US confronts this issue in their YouTube video “Dove Real Beauty Sketches”. The video is a positive reality check for women, showing how you view yourself is completely different from how others view you. The overall message of the clip is that we are our own worst critics, and that we need to focus on our many attributes instead of stressing over our few flaws. This video should be watched by every girl and woman because this issue has afflicted women of all generations.
#3: “Can We Auto-Correct Humanity?” from YouTube user Prince Ea
(Watch it here: “Can We Auto-Correct Humanity?” https://youtu.be/dRl8EIhrQjQ)
Our society is a very media-oriented, tech savvy world. Nearly everyone has a smart phone and it is rare for someone to not have their phone with them at all times. Although this technology has opened many doors to advancement and has made life and communication significantly easier, we pay a big price for this luxurious lifestyle. Too often I find myself surrounded by my friends, but instead of actually talking and interacting, we have our noses buried in our phones. We have these amazing tools of communication, but instead of opening the door for communication, they are slamming it shut and isolating us from the outside world. “Can We Auto-Correct Humanity?” from YouTuber Prince Ea is my all-time favorite YouTube video. Its message is clear and powerful: technology has made us lose touch with humanity. The video really makes you analyze how prominent technology is in your own life, and how the degree to which is controls you is in your hands alone.