The Impact of YouTube

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While the Internet definitely is hurting the music industry with piracy, YouTube seems to be helping the artists get their music out there. As of right now “Bye Bye Bye” by *NSYNC has over 28 million views. And this was before YouTube was even invented so it makes one wonder how many views the song would have if it were to come out today. Anyone can become a sensation overnight. Rebecca Black anyone? “Friday” by Rebecca Black has over 48 MILLION views. Have you ever HEARD the song? It is ridiculously obnoxious. Apparently it’s so bad that it’s good. “Gangnam Style” by Psy has over 279 MILLION views. This video became a viral sensation. He was even in a Super Bowl commercial.

“What Makes You Beautiful” by One Direction has over 334 million views. The band even admitted that YouTube helped them break into the U.S. Because people had seen YouTube videos of their music before it was even available this helped the band become the first British group in U.S. chart history to enter at number one with their debut album.

While YouTube has helped promote music, it has also helped viewers relive embarrassing moments that people might not have otherwise been able to see. For instance, the infamous Janet Jackson Super Bowl malfunction has been viewed over two million times by viewers that might not have noticed it the first time. During one of Beyonce’s concerts she fell off stage. While this embarrassing moment normally would have only been witnessed by the audience members, it is also available on YouTube and has been viewed by over three million viewers. Jennifer Lawrence’s dress seemingly ripping at the SAG awards a few weeks ago has been viewed collectively by over 50,000 people.

So while YouTube has helped some people advance their careers it has also become a place where embarrassing moments live in infamy. As long as you don’t fall or have a wardrobe malfunction then you should be safe from becoming a YouTube sensation for embarrassing reasons.

Katie Chalmers
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