Michael L. Wesch, an assistant professor of cultural anthropology at Kansas State University, was writing a paper about social networking and other interactive tools, which are collectively referred to as Web 2.0, when he decided to make use of the technology to spread his message. So he put together a short video with examples of Web 2.0 features, with a catchy soundtrack and rapid-fire editing, and uploaded it to YouTube, the popular video-sharing site.
Within just a few weeks, the video had been viewed more than two million times and had sparked commentary from around the world. In a way, the short clip proved its own argument — that Web 2.0 is linking people in new ways and changing the way ideas are exchanged.
This semester Mr. Wesch is leading a class of nine undergraduates deeper into the world of YouTube to conduct an ethnography of the online community. (See video report.) Their focus is on video bloggers, or vloggers — people who regularly record video diaries of their thoughts and feelings and share them with the world.
All of the students are now making regular vlogs of their own. Posting the videos on YouTube for the world to see is optional, however, and three of the nine students have opted not to share.
Some of those who do post their videos use them to pose questions to other YouTube users. In his first posting, one of the students, Robert Hinderliter, asked whether college students today are more narcissistic than ever, as a recent study found, and, if so, whether YouTube is a contributing factor.
One YouTube user posted a seven-minute video response: “I think I am important,” said the vlogger, who goes by the nickname bbenefiel. “I’m important because we’re all connected, and I think it’s important that everyone has this importance that they’re special or, you know, important to somebody.” About half a dozen others posted text replies.
‘It’s OK to Be Personal’
At least one of the Kansas State students has gone native, admitting to being “addicted to ‘Tubing.” She is Rebecca Roth, or thepoasm, as she calls herself on YouTube, and she makes frequent video diaries.
“It’s surprisingly not hard to put details about yourself out to complete strangers,” she said during an interview with a Chronicle reporter conducted via Webcam. “I’m not talking about details like your credit-card numbers. But, you know, details like ‘Oh, I feel this way about my mother.’”
“But it gets complicated when people you know and are involved in your life — or are your professor — are watching your videos,” she said. “I had the big discussion of, How personal do I get now that I know that academic scholars are watching my videos? And I decided it’s OK to be personal because I think it’s important to be humble and let them know where you’re coming from so that they understand where your research is going.”
Talking to a Webcam takes some getting used to, and Ms. Roth and other students can be seen warming up to vlogging over time, says Mr. Wesch. They also learn some basic vlogger communication tricks — like holding your hands close to your face, where they will be in the camera’s range, and gesturing frequently, to maintain viewer interest.
The students have also learned that it is important not to be too rehearsed in vlog performances. “If you could name a core value on YouTube, it’s authenticity,” says Mr. Wesch. “The strongest critique is to say that you’re hiding behind something or you’re not being real.”
The professor says he plans to continue to make videos to supplement his scholarly articles, noting that he has four or five more in his head. “These tools are now as easy as learning to write, basically,” he says, “if you get a good video-editing program.”
http://chronicle.com Section: Information Technology Volume 53, Issue 36, Page A42