Michael Wesch' lecture "An Anthropological Look at YouTube" Response

 

An anthropological look at YouTube by Michael Wesch was a lecture about how the internet and YouTube are new modern opportunities for individuals to express themselves however they please. Including being themselves or someone else. The beginning of the lecture talks about the reality of the internet, and how it connects many people. Through a variety of platforms such as youtube, people are also able to collaborate on different tasks or have shared experiences on a digital level. This results in people creating new relationships making it easier to connect from a new perspective. However, the downfall to this is that when media change human relationships change as well. This change can be either positive or negative, depending on the situation. Another thing to caught my attention is that people can showcase their individualism on all platforms while still valuing the community or environment. Which helps individuals create an identity for themselves or embrace an old identity that they have suppressed.

After watching the video and listening to the lecture of Michael Wesch, my reaction was surprised. I didn’t realize that the internet was a key influence on how people communicate, connect, and express themselves. Things such as roads, TVs, and are phones are common ways of understanding someone in today’s world. It’s mind-blowing and inspiring because people can gain confidence and the ability to communicate in a digital environment without physically being together. In closing, I think Michael Wesch did an excellent job explaining that we are all connected in many ways.