Exploitation of Popularity

By now, I'm sure everyone is familiar with the whole Sam Pepper fiasco and how he purposely took advantage of his fans, but not many people know that this happens all-over youtube, and it's not easily stopped.

Seeing as the community of Youtube mostly consists of easily influenced young teens (Ages 11-17) it's not exactly hard to see how this can lead to exploitation, but what is shockingly disgusting is how some youtubers can use their position of popularity and fame to influence their viewers into doing degrading things. It doesn't only occur with hugely popular youtubers either, even small channels with under 50,00 subscribers partake in such vile things (The youtube channel Eddplant comes to mind here)

Now, although the youtube community is actually really great, welcoming and mostly friendly (aside from the trolls) it is definitely home to many predators who constantly abuse any amount of success they receive. This causes controversy between why they are allowed back into the community with 'open arms' when infact they actually aren't, it's just the fact that we have no power over their channel and can't actually force them to close it

Long story short, yes, people can easily influence people for the worst on youtube, but it can also happen anywhere else on the internet, and to be blunt, no, the youtube community does not condone these acts.

Youtube Channel

Before you start expecting something I usually post, this is just a little life update! I have recently made a youtube channel to coincide with the blog ( I don't expect the channel to go anywhere )
So far, I only plan on making 'How to' videos which will mostly be software based.

My most recent video is 'How to make thumbnails' which is basically just me making and editing a thumbnail very fast. Although it doesn't sound like much, there are quite a few youtubers who use the same method ( I originally found the website through watching a youtubers video)

If you feel like it, check out my channel and maybe subscribe!

All Around The World (Kind of)

So I just wanted to write A short post about something very exciting which will be happening pretty soon. I've known about this 'Exciting thing' for a while now, but I just never really thought it was something I should post about, but things change I guess. Basically, I'm going on a trip around Europe with my school to countries such as Germany, France and Poland. We plan on spending a few days in each country (2 or 3) so we can get through as many as we can while not being away from school for too long.

Of course I plan on taking PLENTY of pictures (This is one of the reasons why I bought my new camera too) and I hope to make another post about the whole experience and also include all of the pictures I took.

Sorry this post is so short, I basically just wanted to do a quick summary instead of a full-out detailed description. If any of you live in Europe comment below what Countries you live in and recommend something that my class can do while we are in your country!

The World of Youtube

If you are aged 12-19, chances are that you already know about Youtube and how great it is! So I thought I would make a post talking about the Youtube Community and who the major 'Youtubers' are at the moment.

Video blogging (or vlogging) is the new popular thing at the moment on youtube, and is one of the main things that attracts the audience most of them have. Not only does it gain them dedicated fans, but it earns them money from things such as channel/video views, advertisements and product reviews. Now, this money isn't enough to make them millionaires but it is 'enough the pay the bills' and send them to popular events such as Vidcon and Playlist Live. Most popular youtubers can also be very positive role-models and do not consider themselves celebrities but plainly normal people who make videos.

Zoe 'Zoella' Sugg

First of all, we have Zoe Sugg (Zoella) who's Fashion, Lifestyle and Beauty blog expanded into a Youtube Channel in 2009. Since then, Zoe has accumulated 6 million subscribers on Youtube, and Millions of Subscribers on Twitter and Instagram. She is the headlining face of Gleam Management, which also manages popular youtubers such as Tanya Burr and Caspar Lee.

She accumulates 26m views on her Youtube channel each month and 8m views on her blog a month. Her youtube channel has been on the rise since late 2012/early 2013 where she gained millions of subscribers over a few months. As described by Gleam, 'Zoe's cute and quirky personality makes her shopping hauls and beauty recommendations easy to watch' however she has now branched out to doing other types of videos, such as collabs with other youtubers featuring dares and games, and she also has her own Vlog channel 'Morezoella'

Marcus 'Helloooo!' Butler

Marcus Butler is also another example of a popular Youtuber (who is also a very good role-model to his fans). He is managed by Gleam, like Zoella, and started his Youtube channel in 2010 after creating music remixes in College. His main youtube channel currently has 3m subscribers with 22m views a month. He also has over 2m subscribers on Twitter and Instagram and his Blog attracts 250k views a month. His vlog channel is also a clear audience attracter, which features his girlfriend (and newly found youtuber) Niomi Smart.

Marcus focuses on posting random videos on his main channel and daily vlogs on his second channel, and he is now working on his own Gaming channel. In 2013 he was also part of a youthbe channel named "Guiness World Records OMG!" in which he attempted to beat World records with other youtubers such as Alfie Deyes.

These people are the personalities of the present and the future, thanks to youtube.

Sexism in Society

There has always been a strict line between how a Man and Woman should behave, and I think it's about time society 'gets with the current times' and realizes no one should be expected to do something, or be judged for things that the same gender does.

Recently a prank video of Sam Pepper has reached media with wild responses and allegations. This video features sam pinching girls bums as they turn their back and him covering it up (blaming it on other people mostly). I believe that although it is degrading for the women in the video, if it was a woman prankster in the video there wouldn't be as much media attraction and there would be almost next to none allegations of sexual abuse/harassment. 

However, I feel like women have a lawful favouritism when it comes to things like harassment. Women can just as equally abuse someone sexually, but of course, in the eyes of the law a woman cannot rape a man. This is basically because you have to be penetrated for it to be classed as rape, and most peoples response is 'Men can't be raped because they would have to be unwilling' I find this pretty dim-witted and shocking that society actually believes that men just think sex 24/7 (That's only the nymphomaniacs) Equally however, A women who has slept with over 2 men is classed as a 'slut' whereas a Man gets praise for bedding as many woman as he can find; I also find this pretty sexist.

An expectation society also seems to have for women, is that they must be perfectly presentable at all times, even if that means they have to suffer in pain in order to fit into a 'stylish' dress. Teenage girls these days are also expected to wear make-up every day to cover up their flaws and make themselves seem more attractive, and I think this is honestly atrocious that people can make others feel so uncomfortable and insecure.

In conclusion, basically society just needs a wake-up call that we are our own person and we shouldn't be judged for acts people of the same sex commit; we should all be equally praised and punished. Also please do not take this as hate for whatever gender you are, I just brought up points I felt were relevant.

The Two Sides of Scotland

Recently, on the 18th September, there was a very special vote which took place in Scotland. This vote was (or would have been) the first step toward Scotland's independence, and how we would break away from the UK.

I was one of few who weren't very intimidated by the Scottish Referendum, and actually voted without A moment of stress or regret. I decided to vote Yes down to the the fact that I believe my country would do fine on it's own with the amount of resources we have access to, and the strong trades within the country. I would however, still be happy if we stayed within the UK (Let's not lie to ourselves, Thorpe Park and Alton Towers are great)

Over the past few days since the final result however (which was a NO, by the way), there has been riots between Yes and No voters all throughout Scotland, and mostly within our most popular city, Glasgow. Not only is it pointless, but it is downright embarrassing. Whether the Vote was tampered with or not (There have been several allegations of miscounts and fraud during the referendum) Scotland as a country will need to accept whatever outcome occurs and adapt to it; but of course this wasn't the case.

Riot in Glasgow George Square

Since the result, there has been a great divide in Scotland between those who voted Yes and those who voted No, which has also caused a petition for a re-vote to surface. This just shows how badly countries can react to votes of Independence, and I personally think the country would be better off if no vote had taken place.

Ebola Outbreaks

There are soooo many dangers in the world, and the most deadliest are often too small to see with the naked eye. An example of these microscopic killers is the Ebola Virus, which has been fighting it's way through our population since 1976.

It all started in 1996, in the village of Yambuku near the Ebola river - where the virus got It's name from - and the first person to contract the disease was the village Headmaster, Mabalo Lokela, who became infected after touring the Ebola river during the 12th-22nd of August 1996; he later died on the 8th of September. Since then, there was another 318 other cases reported near the same area which resulted in 280 deaths (Meaning the virus had a 88% fatality rate).

The virus was then eventually contained with the help of the World Health Organization, but then another species of the virus was identified in Sudan, which effected 283 people and killed 151 - Meaning this species has a 53% fatality rate -. Since then, the Ebola Virus was generally unheard of up until 6th December 2013 in Guinea, where an outbreak was traced back to a 2 year old boy who later died. Since then, by mid-august there has been around 2,127 cases and 1,145 deaths, and due to this, on the 8th August 2014, the World Health Organization declared an "international public health emergency" epidemic, which urged the rest of the world to aid effected regions of the world.

The virus can often be confused with viruses like Cholera, Typhoid fever and Malaria (Symptoms also tend not to appear for up to 21 days). The virus has flu-like symptoms such as headaches, fevers and muscle pain, but anyone infected with the virus may also suffer internal bleeding and even external bleeding from the eyes, ears, mouth and nose. The only current way to treat anyone infected is to isolate them in intensive care, where body organs can be correctly supported as the body fights the virus. The only discovered way for the virus to transmit from human-to-human is through bodily fluids, although the natural host for the virus is thought to be fruit bats.

All of this was the thing that led up to the deadly virus that is migrating from country-to-country today, so as long as you don't exchange bodily fluids with anyone who has recently visited countries around the equator (specifically Africa) you should be fine!