Admission

In addition to wondering if I am strange, the situation I encountered also made me think about the forms of digital media I wasn’t thinking about. And social influences I hadn’t considered either. Thankfully in our class on Monday, Dr. Platt never got to me when she asked the question about online video viewership. While I wouldn’t say I am embarrassed, I will admit that I felt out of place. Why? Well, I don’t watch online videos. The YouTube craze hasn’t gotten me (maybe with Sarah in the class it will?) and for the most part, I would rather read than wait for a video to download so I can watch it. Yes, I know, with broadband they do download relatively quickly and maybe I am still sour on it from when we had wireless, but I would easily choose to scan an article quickly to see if it’s worth reading than to consider a video. So there, my secret it out. Other than watching movies on demand from Netflix (which I stream through my TV and don’t really consider an online video), I don’t do YouTube or anything alike.

Thinking about it more, how many others are out there like me? Is it because of my age (take my word for it, I’m older than you think) or because I didn’t grow up exactly on the Web? It certainly isn’t because I am not technically savvy. Perhaps I thought I should blame it on work. At my job, almost everything is Websensed. Sometimes I feel my computer is going to tattle on me if I choose to go to the ladies room at the wrong time. Still, I get my news fix at work as best as I can. As I thought more though, I have free range at home and still do not choose videos. I simply do not have any interest.

I believe the true reason is those I am in contact on a daily basis with do not have any interest either. I am sure most of my friends have watched online videos unlike me; however, the topic never comes up in a discussion. It is not relevant at all in our social realm. Unless news is constrained to that medium someday, I don’t foresee it ever being part of our realm either. Of course, I despised Facebook too, but signed up for a profile before starting the end of my college years.

Ah, huh! The transition to the digital world does have a big impact on how we socialize. As I’ve been writing this post, I am realizing more and more how peer pressure or the need or desire to fit in or make sure you are in the loop leads one to join in, such as me making sure I didn’t look like a complete fool (or more of one) among my college peers and signed up for Facebook. I am not saying that everyone watches videos because everyone else is. They are watching the videos as it is part of what their friends are doing and talking about. They want to be part of that and there is probably a little bit of not wanting to look too out of place with the “in crowd.”

Interestingly enough, I think the “in crowd” has always guided us. The research out there on this seems to say the same thing. Simply search the term “being popular” on Google Scholar for all kinds of evidence. There are the few and far between who want nothing to do with it, but we can all admit that at least once in our lives, we’ve done something because someone else is doing it. And I am sure media in all forms knows that as well. So in the end, we’re all fed what everyone else thinks is the in thing at that particular moment. I can’t help thinking how much peer pressure has influenced where the Web is today along with the content it holds.

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In searching for a nice example to show you all of my daily frustration with Websense, I came across a great blog on it. Some of you may even be familiar with this guy's site. I wanted to note this separately though as it does contain offensive material. Please note before proceeding. Click here to proceed.