Genuinely Useful Things YouTube Has Taught Us

Surely, we are just beginning to see what Internet video will turn into, but we've already learned so much in the short life of YouTube.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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It’s hard to believe that YouTube isn’t yet a decade old. The video platform has become ubiquitous in only nine years of existence. Though many of us look at YouTube as a place to watch cute kittens and twerk fails, there are valuable lessons to be gleaned from the site’s rise to Internet domination. We have watched online video evolve from a Wild West of user-generated content to a sophisticated platform for everything from corporate messaging to humanitarian movements. Not only has YouTube taught us a lot about how Internet video can work, but through our engagement with YouTube, we have learned things about ourselves. Now that every vlog, every prank, every offbeat music cover has the potential to be seen by untold number of eyes, we are adapting to a world where anyone can go viral at any time. Surely, we are just beginning to see what Internet video will turn into, but we’ve already learned so much in the short life of YouTube.

Plagiarism Doesn’t Pay

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Attention Spans Are Shorter Than We Thought

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It Is Possible to Be Discovered

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Great Videos Can Keep An Artist Relevant

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People Don't Know What Parody Means

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Racking up Views Doesn't Mean You've Conveyed Your Message

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Your Mistakes Live On Forever

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People Want To Learn

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Almost Anything Can Be Taught

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America's Funniest Home Videos Was Ahead of Its Time

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There Are Many Different Types of Audiences

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Musical Comedy is Not Dead

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Content Still Trumps Style

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Wedding Proposals and Wedding Dances Are Boring

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You Aren't As Interesting As You Thought

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You Can't Make Something Go Viral

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Traditional Media Will Have a Voice on Internet Video

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You Can Find Content You Never Thought You'd See Again

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Access Matters

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