We’re all a fan of Screen Junkies’ Honest Trailers and viral classics like ‘Charlie Bit My Finger‘, but when we’re scanning YouTube for something with a little more substance, we should probably consider throwing a Subscribe to a few YouTubers who are using their platforms to try and create substantial change. Solo artists and business corporations alike are increasingly using their voices to discuss relevant issues of social injustice, share stories and experiences that prompt us to feel more connected and supportive of one another, and even raise awareness for various stigmatized physical and psychological conditions.
If you don’t know where you’d find such accounts among a panel of grandmas smoking weed and a growing number of flash mob proposals (which definitely have their time and place), no worries, Collegiettes. We’ve got you covered. Here are a few of our favorites:
1. Prince EA
In his own words, “Richard Williams, better known by his stage name Prince EA, is an American rapper, spoken word artist, music video director and rights activist from St. Louis, Missouri.” EA’s videos often use spoken word and other musical elements to initiate a dialogue around what he believes to be significant societal problems, such as lack of empathy and failed communication between people, and our heavy reliance on technology and social media.
Memorable quote: “The path towards a new beginning starts within you.”
A beautiful and relatively well-known pop recording artist from Canada recently uploaded a YouTube cover of Meghan Trainor’s smash hit ‘All About That Bass’, giving the song an innovative twist by converting it into a powerful message about the importance of positive body image, and even more, the importance of standing against body-shaming women of all types and proportions.
Memorable quote: “Yeah, my momma she told me don’t worry about your size. She said love the skin that you’re in, girl you can shine so bright… It’s not about your waist, ’bout the size of your waist.”
It’s like Humans of New York for your YouTube account. Snap Judgment is a radio show initiative that provides a forum in which people, of all walks of life, can share their stories, often times to music. It differs slightly from spoken word in that the narrative plays more like a short story, and while some are lighter and others take an emotional turn, half the fun is in not knowing which one you’re going to end up with. Every story leaves you moved and your perspective slightly changed. Your daily dose of humanity, via one 3-8 minute clip.
Memorable quote: “I wonder when they’ll say it, how they’ll say it… I can’t imagine anything but this. Its ending is unthinkable. My heart hurts at the thought of our last miles, these miles.”
4. TED Talks
The official YouTube account for TED Talks, the account “shares the best ideas from the TED Conference with the world, for free: trusted voices and convention-breaking mavericks, icons and geniuses, all giving the talk of their lives in 18 minutes.” Similar to Snap Judgment films, TED Talks create a space in which viewers can learn about either marginalized or hotly-debated issues, ranging from social stigmas to physical and mental conditions. However, these talks tend to be more explicit in their purpose than Snap Judgment Films, often ending with a direct, resonating takeaway for viewers to bear in mind as they close out of their windows and carry on with their day.
Memorable quote: “I haven’t told many people this, but in my head I’ve got thousands of secret worlds all going on all at the same time. I am also autistic. People tend to diagnose autism with really specific, check-box descriptions, but in reality there’s a whole variation of what we’re like.”
5. Matty B
Young rapper Matty B and singer Olivia Kay lend their voices to a moving cover of Cyndi Lauper’s ‘True Colors’, starring Matty B’s younger sister and the judgment and isolation she’s experienced based on her diagnosis with down syndrome.
Memorable quote: “I’m just a kid but now I’m trying hard to rationalize how somebody can spot a splinter with a log in their eye. There’s a legacy that we’re leaving and it’s greater than us. ‘Cause the truth is we’re all equal and the answer is love… There’s always room for change.”
So start subscribing and start getting inspired! Enjoy, Collegiettes!
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