Thing #20 - YouTube

I have heard of YouTube and have gone on there a handful of times. I usually look for something when someone tells me there's something funny on there. When I was a sophomore one of my sorority sisters sent out an email with a video link to YouTube of a heavy set guy singing a song ("Numa Numa"). It was hilarious. I still have it saved to my computer and watch it whenever I'm having a bad day or need a pick me up. For the most part, I only use YouTube to find funny things and whenever I hear someone talking about the site it's usually in regards to something funny. However, I do know that there is some serious footage on there. For example, I searched 9/11 and there are comments an new videos that have been posted. Nine years later and people still care. That means something to me for 2 reasons. The first being I lived right outside of NYC, you can see the skyline from my streets. That day was awful in every way possible and has made an everlasting impact on the country, but specifically the states directly effected and the surrounding areas. The second reason is because my husband is an active duty soldier who is getting ready for his second deployment (his first to Afghanistan). That's significant because I believe that is the place that is linked to 9/11. He will be fighting our freedom, for people he's never met, and for a country I feel as forgotten him and the hundred of thousands of soldiers who are still fighting, who are getting ready to fight for the first time to the ninth time, and for the soldiers who paid the ultimate price. Seeing the footage and the comments gives me a renewal of strength that I so desperately need.

I like YouTube because there are thousands of videos that are at my fingertips. If you can think of something that you want to see it's probably on there. The site is simple to navigate so it makes it a pleasure to go on there. I know I had the option to put a video up there, but I don't have anything worth sharing and I wouldn't feel comfortable putting something up there of my family. I have already thought about taking my photos off of facebook because you never know what people are going to do to them and once it's up there there's nothing you can do about it. Who knows who has a picture of me or my family, it's very unsettling.

I can see this site being utilized in the classroom or my library site because there are more than just funny videos up there. There's News and Politics, Education, Science and Technology, and Travel and Events. All of these things can be brought to good use in an educational setting.