In the past couple of weeks, we’ve been witnessing many unpleasant and problematic things taking place both on the global stage and in our own lives. That crazy midterm week hasn’t quite become a distant memory, but right now we are back from vacation only to be faced with more work and the post spring break depression. International headlines are dominated by air crash, mass shootings and rhetoric surrounding nuclear war. Even on Wake campus, we come across incidents that go against the values and integrity which the university should be standing for.
Meanwhile, social media is commonly criticized for exacerbating these problems. It causes distraction, discourages face-to-face communication, reduces thoughtfulness and, for the worst part, provides a platform for the spread of negativity and hatred. Nevertheless, we college students, bearing all its disadvantages in mind, still use social media avidly. I’m definitely guilty of that, based on the shameful amount of time I spend watching YouTube videos every day. No doubt that the YouTube community of today is full of cheap entertainment and unnecessary drama, but over the years I’ve come across channels that create high-quality content and promote mindfulness and understanding. Here are a just a handful that I think deserve more attention and would recommend to anyone who want to take a more thoughtful look at social media.
Jubilee
https://www.youtube.com/user/jubileeProject/featured
As its motto suggests, Jubilee aims to build bridges between people and inspire them to live deeper. One of the most powerful channels on YouTube, Jubilee creates content about love, life, and issues that matter. You may have heard about this channel for its well-known series “Seeking Secrets”, in asks people to read the darkest secrets and deepest regrets of strangers, and “Both Sides”, which invites couples to share their stories from different perspectives. “Middle Ground” is Jubilee’s another meaningful production that brings together people of opposing view to discuss serious and highly relevant issues such as poverty, immigration, religion and abortion. In my opinion, this channel is the perfect example of how social media platforms can be used to spread positivity and foster sincere conversation.
Thoraya Maronesy
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV2cu49-22CyFyBbq2YFPGw/featured
This amazing young woman’s videos are nothing but pure beauty and emotions. She approaches strangers and ask them about their heartbreaks, most painful thing they’ve been told, what they are thankful for and to describe someone they love or to call their crush for a date. Her films present humanity in a very authentic way that makes everyone watching feel connected, inspired and blessed. If you happen to be in a bad mood, just go watch her “People react to being called beautiful”, and trust me, it is going to be the five minutes that make your day.
SoulPancake
https://www.youtube.com/user/soulpancake/featured
Another channel that is dedicated the lives of different people and the universality of humanity, SoulPancake focus on “stuff that matters”, connection, love, hope and every human that walks the earth. My favorite of theirs is “My Last Days”, a series that tells the stories and struggles of people with terminal illness. The way they approach life is probably one of the most positive and thought-provoking thing I’ve ever seen. While most of us are probably not in the position to seriously consider death and what our own lives would be like in the last days, this series will inspire you to reflect on your past experiences and discover the things that truly matter to you.
Brides
https://www.youtube.com/user/BridesMagazine/videos
This may seem kind of random but I think weddings and proposals can always bring a big smile on people’s faces no matter their opinions on marriage. This channel features a lot of creative and heart-warming weddings and proposals, and I can’t think of anything else that is more joyful to watch than people tying knots with their loves of life. Besides those, Brides also has a series that let couples married for 0-65 years answer the same question and talk about challenges and fear in their marriages as well as the moments that they realized they are in love with each other. It is simply beautiful to be able to witness how love progress and mature with years.