How often have you heard the term YouTube celebrity? With YouTube’s mass amateurization environment the website has created the possibility for micro celebrities to form and challenge those in the mainstream media despite their non-professional backgrounds.
In today’s ever growing vast world of technology the Internet has provided users to not only become distributors of content but also creators and producers. YouTube specifically has given its users the ability to create and share their own individual content for other users to comment and share further if desired. This aspect of YouTube that allows any user to spread their content has created a mass amateurization environment, which has led to the possibility of an individual user to become a micro celebrity.
Mass amateurization specifically refers to when a media source allows non-professionals to interact or even compete with professionals. In relation to YouTube, it allows any of its individual users to post and share videos, despite having a professional background or not. Therefore, their website then becomes a platform that encourages amateurs to compete with professionals for viewers. Although, some YouTubers might have professional training in video editing or production, or videos are often directly posted from another well known production companies onto the website, many of the amateur YouTubers’ content has become the most successful; giving them the possibility to become a micro celebrity.
A micro celebrity specifically is someone who gains mainstream attention due to Internet distribution either from themselves or their fans. Even further, they can become popular in the mainstream media, due to the development of a large following or fan base. However, often not enough followers to be considered an A list celebrity, like Angelina and Brad Pitt. However, YouTube’s mass flux of amateurs posting their own content and then becoming popular or famous from it, has created the possibility for these amateurs to compete with the particular A and B list celebrities. In a sense, a lot of viewers who might have watched a movie at night or a specific show now spend their time watching YouTube videos or even posting their videos. As a result, the audience now for television and film could be less wide and varied because users are spending more time watching videos online where the content is more specific to their individual interests.
Even further, due to many YouTube celebrities, micro celebrities, massive followings and intriguing content, they have began to be considered professional enough to be moved to more famous and respected platforms. For example, Issa Rae first started out by posting her own homemade videos on YouTube titled, “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl and Friends” and now has a regular featured show on HBO, called “Insecure.”
Issa Rae’s following and popularity had grown so big online that it became necessary for her to continue producing content on a larger platform. Issa Rae is only one of the many YouTuber’s who have used the platform’s abilities to produce their own person content despite their non-professional background and drastically become apart of the mainstream media and popularity developing a micro celebrity status for herself.
Although, YouTube’s mass amatuerization abilities have led to many micro celebrities and has given its users the ability to provide for themselves, its environment has led to many audience issues and struggles amongst normal television and film professionals. Mass amateurization is definitely a positive invention for the amateurs but also has become a negative struggle and problem for the so-called professionals in that specific field.
Feature Image Courtesy of YouTube.
Social Media@ NYUPraha 