YouTube

The thing that stood out the most to me in this chapter is the quote on page 73 that reads "The end of the line for audio-visual popular culture has become immortality on YouTube". Levinson points out that unlike older forms of media such as television, video clips on YouTube can be replayed over and over again and shared with anyone in the world. Once someone captures you on film and shares it on YouTube your embarrassing fall or outrageous comments leave the comforts of your immediate circle and are shared with people that you have no connection to or desire to share with. Once posted, that embarrassing moment can be re-played over and over again, haunting the person forever because as Levinson states the clip has "immortality". Plus through editing, someone can manipulate an image or speech and take it of context and make it seem worse than it actually was or was meant to be.

Honestly, there have been times when I have chosen not to participate in things for fear that it will end up on YouTube. I might not be afraid to do something silly in front of my friends but on the off chance that someone tapes it and posts it on YouTube I often refrain. And although a post might not affect me now I definitely would not want something silly I did when I was 20 to haunt me when I am 35. I hope that the things I do in college do not come back to haunt me fifteen years later and I am careful to guard that privacy. YouTube has affected my life, even though I am not a contributor, as it has made me less wild and more guarded.