Commencing the new era of 21st century meant the coexistence of humanity and

technology. This simple phenomenon brought about a myriad of perspectives, especially

related to the multimedia industry. The website, Youtube, made it possible for people around

the globe to communicate with each other, making time and location difference negligible.

However, as mentioned before, this ‘development’ showed both positive and negative facets

as the time passed. Apt usage of Youtube granted people opportunities, just as BTS had a

successful debut in the world market. On the other hand, misusing it resulted in undesirable

side effects as well.

● How are multimedia industry organized nowadays?

The ‘Hongik Tidings’ had an interview with a Youtube bj about the pros & cons of being a BJ

in Youtube in earnest to begin the article itself.

- HT : Can you briefly introduce yourself to us?

Chaejoon : Hi! I am Chaejoon Lim and I upload videos of me playing games, especially LOL

(League Of Legends), on the Youtube.

- HT : Why did you decide to be a Youtube BJ?

Chaejoon : Ever since I was in highschool, I spent a lot of time watching game channels on

Youtube, so I think I was naturally enticed into starting a channel of my own. At first, I could

not choose my mind between Youtube and Africa TV, but because Youtube allowed me to

edit the videos before uploading them, and because Youtube was easier for me to

communicate with the viewers, I chose Youtube.

*Africa TV : An application or a website that allows people to watch live broadcasts

- HT : What is your perspective on the Pros & Cons of Youtube?

Chaejoon : As a Youtube uploader, I think it is a great advantage for youtubers like myself

that it is profitable. When a BJ possesses a lot of subscribers, Youtube then proposes the BJ

a partnership, which allows the BJ to earn money through advertisement. On the other hand,

I feel some responsibility to such a degree as well, due to the fact that teenagers are greatly

affected by Youtube.

Technology is meeting its heyday as the world entered into the 21st century. As the usage

of smartphones and computers has permeated into our daily lives, two factors have become

important than others. Accessibility and conveniency. On this perspective, one can dig into

one of the vital advantages that Youtube possesses, accessibility. This could seem

peripheral to some, but it is actually a factor which differentiates Youtube from others. It

allows people to explore all around the globe without moving a single inch from their front

doors. Considering this, I would like to introduce a popular Korean boy group, BTS. Before

discussing about BTS further, some background information is needed - There are 3 major

entertainment companies in South Korea that produces idols who get the most popularity. It

is very challenging for singers especially groups to surmount the company difference.

If so, how could have BTS, produced by a relatively minor entertainment company, not only

survived in the idol industry, but also become globally renowned as a boy group? The key

was in harnessing the accessibility Youtube channel provides as much as they could. The

BTS channel consistently posted videos of BTS members singing some popular songs in the

United States, attempting in communicating with global fans.

Here is the interview* of Shihyeok Bang, the executive producer of BTS. In this interview,

he mentions Youtube as the main factor of the success of BTS in the global market. He

unequivocally mentions that the reaction video of BTS’s music video by a youtuber was the

start of BTS’s debut in the global market.

* http://news.khan.co.kr/kh_news/khan_art_view.html?art_id=201712101916001

As one can see here, the accessibility of Youtube can be a merit if it is used it well. The

success of BTS in the global market not only ameliorated South Korea’s reputation, but also

made it easier for other groups in Korea to have a go at it. However, As the usage of

Youtube instilled into people’s daily lives, it became inevitable for people to encounter its

disadvantages as well.

First of all, Youtube is deleterious to teenagers’ education. BJs, people who posts videos of

themselves on youtube, affects a lot of teenagers and children, especially elementary and

middle school students. Since their egos are not fully developed yet, it is easy for them to be

propagated by BJs in youtube. The problem with this is that BJs tend to posts videos

containing stimulating contents to gather more viewers, and some of these videos contain

morally unacceptable contents as well. This spawns some serious problems when students

imitates the video in real life. As mentioned before, more subscribers or more views of the

video directly affects the profits that the BJs can make. This is the reason why Youtubers

can not give up on uploading videos with intriguing features that can negatively affect the

viewers. The problem* here is that it is challenging to impose regulation on the videos

individually, because of the diversity of videos. Therefore, it is necessary and urgent for

Youtube to levy proper regulation.

* https://news.joins.com/article/21736075

Second, Youtube hinders people from socializing with each other. It is true that Youtube has

allowed people to communicate with others across the globe. However, it is also explicit that

it thwarts people from meeting others in the same region. It is easy to spot people in cafes

only looking at their phones even though their friends is right in front of them. The irony here

warns us that it is beneficial for us to use these developed technology in our daily lives, but

we have to be careful not to rely on to it too much.

The development of the ‘Youtube’ industry is a double edged sword. It has numerous

aspects that can both help and damage people’s lives. When it is used well, it can be used

to create revenue out of it. It can also be used for good purpose such as advertising for

people in needs. Moreover, it can be a tool to success. However, if the greed is excessive, it

can do harm to people such as affecting the teenagers in a inappropriate way, and blocking

people from actually socializing with each other. Youtube is like a needle on one’s hand. If it

is on a doctor’s hand, it can save and help people. On the other hand, if it is used

inadequately, it can do harm to people. Basically, Youtube is a tool, which brings along

responsibility to the user. It is important to use it well, acknowledging the ambivalence found

in this tool, and knowing that a great responsibility tags along.

Lee Taehwi  xognl1124@gmail.com

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