Over the past couple of years, video essays on social media platforms like YouTube and TikTok have gained significant popularity. The real definition of a video essay is vague — it can be anything from a TV show review to hyperspecific philosophical ponderings, but it must contain two critical elements: summarization and analysis. At the very least, video essays are informative, typically about niche and/or random subjects.
So, what makes video essays so compelling and intriguing? After all, they’re just condensed information being delivered to you via the internet. We experience so much information on a daily basis that it’s almost overwhelming, so what makes these videos suddenly grab our attention?
The hyper-specificity of video essays on YouTube tends to explore topics not typically covered by modern media that give us most of our information, such as official news sites or television programs. News tends to stay amongst current trends and real-world events. In contrast, there are very few criteria that define a video essay and thus this new informative medium provides boundless possibilities for anyone to get out what they would like to say about content from any time period.
While some tend to rely on the side of facts and statistics, other essays are built on the foundation of opinions. This attracts those with similar and/or opposing opinions, as well as people who do not know much about the topic and want to learn more. Another category of video essays is ones that rely heavily on the flexible formatting of video essays. Instead of relying on a certain structure to display their information, they thrive off switching between multiple topics and ideas in a way that can only be described as chaotic. CJ The X‘s videos are a prime example of this type of video essay.
The length of video essays can range anywhere from a few minutes to multiple hours long. Many YouTubers, since they have more freedom when it comes to how long their videos can span compared to Tiktok’s three-minute time limit, begin to develop styles that correspond to certain video lengths. For example, Quinton Reviews is known for his consistently longer-length video essays about Nickelodeon shows, the longest being an eight-hour “Victorious” analysis. This is in contrast to YouTubers like Big Joel whose videos are always under an hour. It’s easy to find what suits your preferences since the community for video essays is still growing every day on multiple social platforms.
It’s important to remember that most essays are written by people like you and me. They are not always the most reliable sources for information, as most aspects have been pulled from multiple sources, sometimes without any credit. Many YouTubers though, especially ones with larger followings, will put source links to articles and other video essays in their descriptions, although those can also be filled with inaccuracies as well. Overall, video essays can enhance your understanding and interest in a niche subject, but they are not always to be relied on for accurate information.