Teens enjoy watching various types of videos on YouTube, such as comedy shows, videos musicals, how-to guides, recipes and more. Teens also tend to follow video bloggers known as vloggers.
These vloggers often reach celebrity status in the teens world by simply posting videos.
Viewers can even subscribe to specific YouTube channels that match their interests and follow celebrities. In this way, YouTube can be a motivation for young people to be creative off the screen, whether in a group or alone, as they learn new skills or find inspiration to have fun.
Youtube as a source of information
Using YouTube as a source of information is a popular benefit for all ages. As a parent, you may have searched for videos of anything from how to unclog a drain to how to bake a cake. Similarly, children and adolescents do the same.
Having both a visual and auditory way of learning makes the assimilation of new information easier for many people, particularly because there are many different types of learning styles and simply reading instructions is not always the most effective way for everyone to learn. For example, many family board games or new appliances will now include a link to a video within their instruction manual to provide an alternative option to learn the associated instructions.
Can teenagers form an emotional connection with YouTube?
In addition to inspiration, YouTube can be used for purely entertainment purposes. When teens need to laugh, YouTube is one of the first places they turn to. They like to find funny memes or videos, and they usually spend about 30 minutes doing this after completing the task from Monday to Friday. This is a common way for teenagers to reward themselves after performing tasks, and also for the purpose of necessary escapism.
Youtube as an escape
Teens can use YouTube as a way to escape the real world. Instead of addressing their personal thoughts and feelings, they hide or ignore them, as they get lost in the endless cycle of YouTube videos. This allows teens the opportunity to escape the pressures that today’s teens face.
The feelings teens experience while they are on YouTube are more pleasant than the feelings caused by reality. While teens can use YouTube to relieve stress, there may be more negative consequences, as it can prevent them from actively learning to manage their stress without distractions.
The need to escape from stress and strong emotions in adolescence is convincing. Not many parents have not taken the opportunity to watch their own TV shows as a way to let off steam, so it is understandable that children will find a way to do the same.
With proper follow-up by parents, limited time and necessary parental control, Youtube does not have to be negative in the use of teens.
