What is a blog? More so, what is a vlog? I am fulfilled and satisfied after having produced a video every week for the last 4 years. It made me happy and boosted my confidence. But what is the endgame here? Where is the finish line and what would it look like? I sure love the journey but am genuinely curious as to where this is heading. When it comes to vlogging, I do have set goals which I strive for. My view on the art went from curious to passionate to obsessive and now, sustained and maintained.
I’m not sure where this journey will take me but I’m pretty
sure it evolves with time. There’s really no way to tell where we would end up, for better or worse.
I learned a lot through this experience. I spent a lot as
well. I invested in quality gear. I invested a lot of time into researching,
shooting and editing. And none of these I regret. In fact I value this
experience and I enjoy the whole process of making a video. These videos may
sometimes seem boring and mundane, but to me, each and every one I create is a
masterpiece.
So while the endgame is less of an important factor right
now, one just has to ask about it. This thing started with a strong passion and
it wasn’t motivated by money or popularity. We’ve seen vloggers amassing a
massive fortune and fame. We’ve also seen some who ended up burning out or suffering from mental health problems such as severe depression. So where do we draw
the line? Do we even recognize the repercussions that may ensue? Half of the
crowd loves the idea of vlogs and influencers. The other half sees it in a
negative light. The idea that sensationalized vloggers, who are mostly adults,
are pulling the attention of the younger crowd and putting high, unsupervised influence over them. These youngsters end up investing their time (and sometimes
money) in focusing on the lives of other people instead of their own.
Seriously, it may sound absurd but none of us really know a
lot about the goods and bads of vlogging. The industry is still at its infancy
after just having popularized in 2005. Research has shown that a huge
percentage of young kids nowadays, when asked about their ambitions, will say
that they want to be a Youtuber when they grow up. 60% said they will
absolutely stop whatever they are currently doing just to watch a new video
uploaded by their favourite Youtubers. These big, successful vloggers have
millions of subscribers and get millions of views per video. Their audience are
loyal followers who support everything they do. The extraordinary influence
they have over their followers are almost like some kind of power. And with
great power comes great responsibility. Do these vloggers act responsibly,
though? Asking the audience to buy their merch doesn’t seem like it.
However, the positives outweigh the negatives by a huge
margin. Video has now become a necessity. Researchers say that by 2024, 80% of
all web search results will be in video form. In fact, if you search something
on Google right now, the top ranking results will almost always be video links.
People prefer to watch instead or read. So Youtube, being the leading video
platform, which is currently the 2nd largest search engine in the
world next to Google, has proven to be a necessary tool in our daily lives.
The vlogging genre, hate it or love it, is most likely here
to stay. It will evolve with current times and possibly change the entire landscape. It
will bring a more complex definition to the “user-generated content” concept.
It will then be up to the consumers who must take precaution and navigate these
waters responsibly. Educate our children from any sort of misuse and the
dangers that exist therein. As it stands, vlogging will survive the test of time. It
will remain an art that many will continue to pursue. It’s a hobby. A passion.
A voice. A career for some. It is a movement.
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