Is YouTube Among Your Favorite Pastimes?
YouTube launched in 2005 and has since become the fastest growing social media platform. According to YouTube, they have over 2.7 billion users every month and over 1 billion hours of YouTube videos are watched a day. YouTube’s influence is massive.
So, Why Is YouTube So Popular?
YouTube provides endless content that entertains and educates. From mindless, but funny, cat videos to instructional guides on how to change the oil in your car, you can find almost anything.
According to Google, the top four content categories watched by YouTube users are comedy, music, entertainment/pop culture, and ‘how-to’.
The how-to videos have changed the way people learn everyday tasks or complicated skills. If you ever think, “I wonder how to…?” just look it up on YouTube. Chances are, there are hundreds or thousands of videos that can teach you.
YouTube is the perfect resource for the 60+ crowd. It provides educational material, entertainment, ideas, and recommendations for anything from retirement planning to cooking, exercise, and travel. YouTube is also an excellent source for learning how to use technology and to stay current on the latest devices, software, or games.
Sorting Through the Clutter
Anyone can upload videos to YouTube – which can be both a good and a bad thing. While there is a lot of helpful, engaging, and entertaining content, not all content is well-presented.
But how do you sort through the billions of videos?
You can find what you want to watch by searching keywords/phrases, topics/categories, what is most popular or trending at any given time. Once you start exploring and watching videos, YouTube will begin to learn your preferences and provide recommendations about new content.
Look at the number of views, subscribers, and ratings to evaluate a producer’s content. The more views and likes, the more likely the quality of the material will be higher. When you find someone you really like, you can ‘subscribe’ to their channel, meaning you will see their content directly on your homepage.
On your homepage, you will see recommended videos that YouTube thinks are within your likes. Make changes to the recommendations by clicking on the little three dots next to the title to choose Not Interested, Add to Watch Later, Add to playlist or Report. This gives YouTube further insights into what you want to see.
YouTube makes It very easy to share content with others via a message on YouTube, email or social media. This is how great content can ‘go viral’ very quickly.
As with anything on the Internet, you need to be aware of what you are sharing. YouTube is a platform that has been used to spread ‘fake news’ numerous times. Always verify the validity of the content before sharing, so you aren’t contributing to the fake news epidemic.
Getting Started with YouTube
YouTube is a free service, though there are pay-to-view elements as well. All Gmail users also have a YouTube account, but it needs to be activated.
If you don’t have Gmail, you can create an account for YouTube using your current email address, but you need a new password as it’s an entirely separate account from your email.
Once logged into YouTube, you have many features available for ease of viewing. Logging in will give you personalized results, allow you to subscribe to channels you are interested in, and comment on videos.
When you activate your account, you can also create your own channel. Channels serve as your homepage and can be customized with your header images and personal information. This is also where all the videos that you upload can be accessed.
If people find your content interesting or relevant, they can subscribe to your channel. If you’ve subscribed to any channels, you can see them under Subscriptions from the menu on the left side of the page.
Be a Video Star
Are you ready to start creating and posting your own videos? That’s a great pastime for those over 60. However, keep in mind that building a robust YouTube channel takes a lot of planning and editing.
Always be cautious about what you post on social media platforms. The visibility settings in YouTube help you control who sees your videos. This can be helpful if you are posting videos of your kids or grandkids that you don’t want to be viewed by the general public. The visibility setting options are:
- Public – anyone can find the video and view it.
- Private – it can be seen by you and only the people you choose.
- Unlisted – the video won’t show up in searches or get posted on your channel, but anyone that has the link is able to view the content.
The Expanding YouTube World
YouTube continues to expand beyond their free video hosting service. Some of the upgraded features aren’t available everywhere so they may not be visible in your area… yet.
- YouTube Music Premium provides songs and videos without ads. It also allows you to download music directly to your device, so you can listen without Wi-Fi.
- YouTube Premium in addition to the benefits of “music premium,” lets you watch all videos without ads, download videos to your device, and access “YouTube Original” series and movies.
- YouTube TV allows you to stream live TV and record shows without DVR storage. It is an alternative to traditional cable and satellite TV. YouTube TV features live sports, news, and shows depending upon your location for a flat fee. Additional channels may be available for added costs.
Let’s Have a Conversation:
What are your favorite YouTube channels? I love Sixty and Me’s channel do you watch it too? Do you watch to learn new stuff or just to be entertained? What’s your YouTube experience to date? Please share your thoughts in the box below.
Tags Technology
I watch a variety of things on YouTube, and find it especially helpful when I need instructions…my latest project is how to remove rust from the battery contacts in a picture-slide viewer. There’s a video for that!
Back in 2009, I was recording and uploading stress relief tips for about a year. Today, I’m preparing to launch a channel called At Home Photography with ideas and instructions for photographers who can’t do day-long photoshoots, but want to exercise their photographic creativity with projects in their home or yard. It will be fun!
I enjoy YouTube very much. I have used it to travel virtually when
the world was on lockdown. I enjoy travel vloggers and their experiences
with their travels. I enjoy virtual walks in countries that I wish to visit.
Travel tips and tricks.
I enjoy cooking videos especially AllRecipes with Nicole McLaughlin
and Pick Up Limes. Those videos that show 50 ways to cook chicken,
make sandwiches, love those. Just last night, I listened to African and Indigenous music with videos. So restful and relaxing. If I have a song in my head and go only remember part of the lyric or title, YouTube helps me
find it. I have used it for home/life projects…financial, plumbing, electrical, roofing to see how things are supposed to work before calling a contractor or investing
YouTube should also be used with a note of caution,,,,there are angry,
divisive clickbait videos. Once, I ran into porn on an ad about a bathroom remodel.
YouTube is enjoyable but not everything on it is.
I love YouTube! It offers us so many wonderful opportunities to stay engaged, continue learning, and even to share our skills and knowledge. I started a YouTube channel a year or so ago to share art techniques with the idea of making beginner friendly art classes available. As a long term art teacher, I realized many people are afraid to make ‘mistakes’ in front of others. Truly there are no mistakes just the ‘stepping stones’ to developing mastery. But treading those stepping stones in private suits many. Thanks for the article, I enjoyed it!
Thanks for this article. I’ve watched many how to u-tube videos, gardening, cooking, and exercise videos. I’ve done handy man things around the house I never knew I could do until I watched a video on u-tube! It’s very helpful. It’s an endless supply of information, again you have to work through the weeds as with anything else. I typically sign in as a guest. After reading more about u-tube in this article I’m probably going to set up the account and start subscribing to channels I like. Thank you for providing this information.
I also love YouTube. I like the doctor shows which are very educational. The movies have a good selection and less commercial time then on Prime. How to’s are great. The one thing I have found to be distressing is when they make it look like someone, like a celebrity, has died, and it isn’t so.
After relocating to a retirement village in 2020, I really had no space (or time) to watch TV, so mine was donated to someone else. Now I watch YouTube on my laptop while I have a meal, or want to relax on Sundays. Sundays is my ONLY day off, as I still run a busy studio – I need the small income to pay my rent! Yes, I have learned how to properly apply my make up, as I need to be client-ready Monday to Friday – I need to always look professional, albeit in smart casual clothes. It was on YT that I found Marie-Anne in France, who taught me how to set up a capsule wardrobe – my live/work space is a tiny studio flat – and I have armchair-travelled to many places, often revisiting places my late hubby and I visited in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. I can watch opera, ballet, live music concerts, and have music on tap for company while I work in my creative field. I cannot imagine my world without YT!!! I have to admit, YT has helped me to appreciate technology more – I am afraid I rather was dragged into the 21st century!!! Of course, I have loads of favourite YT channels that I adore watching – Sixty and Me, Designed to the NInes, The Organized Soprano, The Crafty Organizer, French Chic, New England Fine Living, The Clutterbug, The Reclaimed Heirloom, to mention just a small selection. I also get to watch a livestream church service every week, broadcast from Ohio. My list of perks and hours of enjoyment on YT are out the ballpark!!!!
I’m another fan of Marie Anne in France, she’s witty and has taught me a lot about clothes in the past couple of years. I love the way she puts things together to create nice fashionable looks for more mature ladies.