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Confessions of a YouTube junkie

eternitys_child

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http://daily.stanford.edu/article/2008/4/4/confessionsOfAYoutubeJunkie
Confessions of a YouTube junkie

April 4, 2008
By Yoni Teitelbaum
I have a confession to make: I am a YouTube addict. It’s something I’ve been in denial about for a long time, but I finally realized it was true during Dead Week last quarter, when I sat down at 8 p.m. one night to work on my PHIL 151 take-home final. Suddenly it was 10 a.m. two days later, and I realized I’d spent the whole time watching Michael Jackson videos. I told myself that this was it. Life couldn’t go on like this. I realized that YouTube was not only affecting my schoolwork, but it was also driving me away from friends and family. The only reason I ever did anything anymore was to have time for Michael Jackson videos. Who could I possibly talk to about that? I was ashamed.




That finals week morning, I decided to take action. I could see that my situation was rapidly spiraling out of control, and I shuddered to imagine the consequences if I didn’t act right then. I would finish my finals, I told myself, and come spring break, I’d call my parents and get help.
That call never happened. And you know what? I decided it never will. You might be tempted to dismiss me as just another junkie paying lip service to sobering up. But this is a carefully thought-out decision. You see, stuck here on campus over spring break with no finals to procrastinate on, I had lot of time to reflect. And here’s what I decided.
First of all, everyone I know, and I mean everyone, has a YouTube skeleton in their closet. Whether it’s David Hasselhoff or Celine Dion or Steve Jobs keynote speeches, we all have an addiction to YouTube videos or something similar. Mine just happens to be Michael Jackson. I could watch Michael for hours on end, anything from “I Want You Back” to “Scream,” mesmerized by his voice and his moves. It wasn’t until I found out a close friend of mine also has a Michael Jackson problem that it occurred to me that it might not be such a shameful thing.


Now I’ll admit, Michael Jackson is not my only YouTube affliction. While no other videos will ever do it for me in quite the same way, I have another weakness: sports highlights. Eli Manning to Plaxico Burress for the Super Bowl. Michael Jordan jamming from the free-throw line. For the sports fan, these are historic moments. Moments that I personally happened to miss because I was either three years old or working the Sunday shift at the math library. Before, I would have gone my whole life hearing about these moments from other people. But now, thanks to YouTube, I can rectify what would have been tragic twists of fate. I can live these moments for myself. And relive them. And relive them.
One video that I have a particular weakness for is Fabio Grosso’s goal against Germany in the World Cup 2006. Grosso taking the no-look pass, lobbing it with one touch around the outstretched arms of the German keeper. As far as history is concerned, it’s a safe bet that for the average Italian, Italy’s successful World Cup campaign carries far more significance than Garibaldi’s unification of Italy 150 years before.
I’ll be the first to admit my YouTubing is out of control, and that for many people, YouTube is indeed an addiction. But is it such a bad one to have? My English profs might scoff, but I’d venture to say that YouTube is actually making me a more culturally literate person. Regardless of what you think of my taste, you can’t argue with the fact that no one is truly cultured until they’ve seen “Thriller” (which I saw for the first time last year, courtesy of YouTube). And if I go to Italy and mention Fabio Grosso, they’ll see I know a thing or two about what it means to be Italian. A YouTube education, though it may not come in the form (or at the price) of a textbook, clearly goes a long way in our society.
And so, my fellow YouTube addicts, be ashamed no more. The time has come for us to cast off the disdain of those who would have us believe that YouTube is a waste of time. Because watching “Thriller,” no matter how many times you’ve seen it before, is never a waste of time.

http://daily.stanford.edu/comments/2008/4/4/confessionsOfAYoutubeJunkie
 
Gosh, I can watch MJ vids on youtube FOREVER too!!! Youtube, dvd's, vhs's, I watch MJ VERY often! WOW- two straight days!!!??? I don't know if I can do that, but i sure can watch me some MJ!!!! :yes:
 
I'm a YT Junkie and I also watch MJ for Hours Times...also i'm a sucker 4 Jane Austen (Romance)Movies!!! I'm right there with u my friend. Now i realize that its not actually a bad thing. Last semester, i only had 3 class to take, which worked out fine 4 me. cuz i had enoug time to watch Michael Jackon on YT!! I think I watched over 10,000 MJ vids. in a month. not only was it intertaining, it was also mind opening. before watching MJ's vids. i didnt realize that It was actually Really BAD To judge ppl. but after watching, I dont judge any body, even Britney. soooo yah, i learnd about being an open minded person. and for Jane Austen movies, I learnd Lots of proper'english, French, and Italian words', so i dont think its that bad to be a YT Junkie,
 
earthlyme said:
I'm a YT Junkie and I also watch MJ for Hours Times...also i'm a sucker 4 Jane Austen (Romance)Movies!!! I'm right there with u my friend. Now i realize that its not actually a bad thing. Last semester, i only had 3 class to take, which worked out fine 4 me. cuz i had enoug time to watch Michael Jackon on YT!! I think I watched over 10,000 MJ vids. in a month. not only was it intertaining, it was also mind opening. before watching MJ's vids. i didnt realize that It was actually Really BAD To judge ppl. but after watching, I dont judge any body, even Britney. soooo yah, i learnd about being an open minded person. and for Jane Austen movies, I learnd Lots of proper'english, French, and Italian words', so i dont think its that bad to be a YT Junkie,
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Which Jane Austin movies have you been watching on youtube. I am a JA fan too, I would like to see Persuasion.
 
earthlyme said:
I'm a YT Junkie and I also watch MJ for Hours Times...also i'm a sucker 4 Jane Austen (Romance)Movies!!! I'm right there with u my friend. Now i realize that its not actually a bad thing. Last semester, i only had 3 class to take, which worked out fine 4 me. cuz i had enoug time to watch Michael Jackon on YT!! I think I watched over 10,000 MJ vids. in a month. not only was it intertaining, it was also mind opening. before watching MJ's vids. i didnt realize that It was actually Really BAD To judge ppl. but after watching, I dont judge any body, even Britney. soooo yah, i learnd about being an open minded person. and for Jane Austen movies, I learnd Lots of proper'english, French, and Italian words', so i dont think its that bad to be a YT Junkie,
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I use to dislike (hate is a strong word) Britney Spears with a passion. But just like you I have learned to not really judge people as much as possible. I use to bad mouth Britney a lot, but now I just hope the best for her.

It goes to show what good watching MJ, and well Youtube for that matter does.
 
Yeah, that sounds an awful lot like me. Except now I come here and talk about MJ as well. :p

YT is a fantastic resource. So many historical moments available for everyone's perusal and edification. Yes, there are things not worth watching, but it's been great for my ongoing musical education, seeing footage of artists from before my lifetime.

I wonder if a college course of music history could be put together using YT videos, say 1930-present... maybe teachers are already using YT; I think they should.
 
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Tv mentioning. Michael was mentioned on Young and the REstless as part of being in an art museum that was displaying Michael and bubbles as art by Victor Newman and Sabrina. The also said bubbles name. very nice.
 
ive been a youtube addict for years! I find myself for hours on the site watching video after video after video :)
 
Lol, cute story. I admit that i'm also a youtube junkie and watch MJ/J5/The Jacksons video's for hours at times. In fact, youtube has reignited my interest in Michael because for a while I had lost interest, but watching video's of him on youtube has made me into a huge fanatic again (much to the dismay of my Mother and bf lol) but I haven't been this into Michael since I was a little kid. Youtube is addicting tho.
 
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**stands**
Hello My name is Chichi ... and I am a YouTube-aholic. I ain't earning no coins... don't expect me to work a 'Clean' program... if you force me to have a sponsor, he best be handsome (rich would be nice also)... it would serve no point to assign me any sponsee.

may I sit now, my search has loaded ??
 
What a freeing thread this is. I am so happy that so many people are coming forward. :lol:
 
Life couldn’t go on like this. I realized that YouTube was not only affecting my schoolwork, but it was also driving me away from friends and family. The only reason I ever did anything anymore was to have time for Michael Jackson videos. Who could I possibly talk to about that? I was ashamed.
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I can somewhat relate to this. :rolleyes: :blush:
 
OMG, sounds exactly like me, you can get so absorbed in to that world, you lose all sense of reality and lose track of time. It's like once you start you can't stop. You can click on one MJ vid and before you know you're on the next and on the next, there's such a variety to choose from. Youtube is partly the reason I got interested in MJ in the first place!
 
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earthlyme said:
I'm a YT Junkie and I also watch MJ for Hours Times...also i'm a sucker 4 Jane Austen (Romance)Movies!!! I'm right there with u my friend. Now i realize that its not actually a bad thing. Last semester, i only had 3 class to take, which worked out fine 4 me. cuz i had enoug time to watch Michael Jackon on YT!! I think I watched over 10,000 MJ vids. in a month. not only was it intertaining, it was also mind opening. before watching MJ's vids. i didnt realize that It was actually Really BAD To judge ppl. but after watching, I dont judge any body, even Britney. soooo yah, i learnd about being an open minded person. and for Jane Austen movies, I learnd Lots of proper'english, French, and Italian words', so i dont think its that bad to be a YT Junkie,
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Do you use the same username on youtube? I recognise you, you've been commenting on my videos :lol:
 
I too am a YouTube junkie. I watch videos on one topic for HOURS on end. Everything from Michael to the North Korean Mass Games, Sailor Moon, General Hospital and even laughing babies. I think its those related videos on the side panel that get you.
 
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Cruzin247 said:
I too am a YouTube junkie. I watch videos on one topic for HOURS on end. Everything from Michael to the North Korean Mass Games, Sailor Moon, General Hospital and even laughing babies. I think its those related videos on the side panel that get you.
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Sooooo true. I always end up getting suckered in by those videos on the side panel and before I know it it's like 3 in the morning and almost time for work/school in a few hours lol.
 
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Cruzin247 said:
I too am a YouTube junkie. I watch videos on one topic for HOURS on end. Everything from Michael to the North Korean Mass Games, Sailor Moon, General Hospital and even laughing babies. I think its those related videos on the side panel that get you.
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Yeah, true :lol:
 
Same here Gisselle its crazy, I can want to go on it for 10 minutes and 6 hours later I realize I am hungry so I look at the clock and go ohhh no!
 
Yep! Youtube definitely fueled the fire for my craze. Thanks to YT, I kind of became a MJ fan all over again. Literally 4 months ago I had free time to watch TV. I saw The Jackson's American Dream on VH1 and started watching. This led me to want to find the original Motown 25 performance.....ON YOUTUBE! This led me on a 3 hour tour of MJ videos I haven't seen since I was a fan when I was 5. Luckily, Christmas break came, and I watched YT videos of MJ at home with free time.

Honestly though, thanks to YouTube you can create new fans everyday. Especially of MJ because all his vids are mesmerizing anyway and once you watch one......ya can't stop. ITS LIKE THE PRINGLES COMMERCIALS!!!!!

This should be a slogan for YouTube
"YouTube: Where every college kid goes when their bored!"
or
"YouTube: Want an easy addiction? Go to YouTube and you could fill a 24hour void in your life!"




Luckily, I can watch YT in moderation now. At some point...I have to stop myself!
 
I think many people are a youtube junkie.. there is a reason it's one of the most popular sites.. that and myspace..
 
Hello my name is Daphne and I'm a youtube-junkie, I can spend hours and hours over and endless amount of MJ videos, currently there are a bit over 500 videos on my channel inbox and I have to get through all of them, but that's the least of my problems.

Two months ago I was presented by another youtube-junkie to MJJC, and that has become my biggest addiction, it has driven me away from my family, affected school and even at times with my bf I can't stop thinking about stuff I read and commented in there so it might end up breaking us up :sad:, I hope I'm not alone in this...:boohoo
 
Im a huge Youtube Junkie. Youtube, one of the greatest sites ever! Almost every video you can think of is there! A great invention indeed.
 
terrell said:
Tv mentioning. Michael was mentioned on Young and the REstless as part of being in an art museum that was displaying Michael and bubbles as art by Victor Newman and Sabrina. The also said bubbles name. very nice.
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Really??? That is MY SHOW!! LOL! Thanks for that tidbit, Terrell. I can talk about Y&R all day but I do not have the time. :)

Back to the topic at hand: great article! I loved what the person said. YT and many other websites are very useful. This is why I believe the Internet will always be a good thing. You can go on websites like youtube and just watch and learn. That is the key. Knwoledge is power and that kind of power is being used on sites like YT. I was a YT junkie when I was in college. However, because of work, finding a new job and slow Internet connection, I do not have the time or speed to be an YT junkie.

I use to dislike (hate is a strong word) Britney Spears with a passion. But just like you I have learned to not really judge people as much as possible. I use to bad mouth Britney a lot, but now I just hope the best for her.
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I was just like you regarding Spears but I just stopped when I read on things and saw how the media was treating her. It reminded me of how these monsters did with MJ. It is not the exact same, but it was similar. I just stopped and I refused to fully judge people until I get the full story.

I also noticed that even though the media is rapidly becoming this one big source of crap, YT can be like a source for something else. It shows two sides of the situation and it gives the viewer the chance to make a decision. This is why I truly love the Internet because the freedom of making sites like YT and this one gives a chance to show the other side of the story that the media refuses to report. It also, for the young people, show the history of things that happened when they were younger or before they were born. Like the person said, he/she saw the "Thriller" video for the first time last year. As shocked as I was from that comment, it was interesting at the same time.
 
I have to STOP myself from even watching an MJ video on youtube!

If I even click on one I will spend the next two to three hours clicking on every other "related video" on the side! lol!!!

Michael Jackson is like CRACK! :lol:
 
lol, this thread is cute. Everyone it seems becomes a youtube junkie. When I had dial up, it took 2 hours to download a 4 minute video, so that made it impossible. But since I got wireless, it's easier to get in to youtube vids. I like to watch things on a big screen and I have a large collection of Michael Jackson footage, so I usually just watch on TV. But I also watch on youtube, most especially other artists who I'm not willing to spend my dollars on, lol, like Celine Dion or Mariah Carey. But youtube is a fantastic tool for making others aware of Michael's influence, and whenever I want people to see what I'm talking about or I want to display to them Michael's talent or how amazing he is as a person, I often times direct them to a youtube video. It is a great tool indeed. A whole new generation will become more aware of Michael's brilliance because of youtube I think, and that's only a great thing.
 
Bee1983 said:
I also noticed that even though the media is rapidly becoming this one big source of crap, YT can be like a source for something else. It shows two sides of the situation and it gives the viewer the chance to make a decision. This is why I truly love the Internet because the freedom of making sites like YT and this one gives a chance to show the other side of the story that the media refuses to report. It also, for the young people, show the history of things that happened when they were younger or before they were born. Like the person said, he/she saw the "Thriller" video for the first time last year. As shocked as I was from that comment, it was interesting at the same time.
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Very true. August 27, 2007: I was on a gossip site that had a story quoting Kanye West as saying he was the biggest black act since Michael Jackson because he sold out stadiums. :rolleyes: (It was some kind of tour with Bono and I'm not really familar with him but my guess is most people were there for him.) Anyway, a comment under the story basically said what we all would have said: Kanye's full of it. They posted a YT video of Jam from the Dangerous Tour as an example of what it really means to sell out a stadium. :lol:

It re-sparked my own MJ-mania becuase I hadn't seen the Dangerous Tour since I was little and now I was old enough to really appreciate Michael's artistry. YouTube also lead me to my own greatest discovery of all things MJ: The Bad Tour :cool:.
 
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