YouTube's 20th Anniversary Milestone

The three founders of YouTube: Jawed Karim, Chad Hurley, and Steve Chen. Photo: ZUMA

Initially, Karim (a German) came up with the idea of programming a website for people to share family videos after he failed to find footage of two different events in 2004. In February 2004, after singer Janet Jackson experienced a wardrobe malfunction during a halftime show of a football game with Justin Timberlake, the demand for video clips surged. By December 2004, when the devastating tsunami struck the Indian Ocean, people were desperate to find and share video footage of the disaster.

In his 2007 commencement speech at the University of Illinois, Karim explained, “We didn’t even know how to describe our new product. To generate interest, we just said it was a new kind of dating website.” Gradually, the team refined the website, shaping this new playing field.

Within just one year of its launch, YouTube captivated users worldwide with its user-friendly interface and the novelty of allowing anyone to become a content creator with just an account and a camera. Furthermore, the interactive features, such as commenting and subscribing while content was playing, created a comprehensive and engaging experience. By November 2006, Google recognized YouTube's potential and acquired it for $1.65 billion in stock.

Currently, over 500 hours of content are uploaded to the service every minute. The 2012 Gangnam Style dance by South Korean singer Psy became the first video to reach 1 billion views, demonstrating the platform's ability to overcome cultural and language barriers. The Baby Shark dance is currently the most-watched video on YouTube, with over 15 billion views. YouTube also played a key role in discovering pop phenomenon Justin Bieber. In 2007, Pattie Mallette uploaded videos of her young son singing cover songs, attracting the attention of talent manager Scooter Braun. This method propelled Justin Bieber to pop stardom. Bieber's fame also reflects YouTube's role in leveling the playing field in the entertainment industry, where anyone with a camera and phone has the potential to become the next celebrity.

Beyond its cultural content, the platform is best known for providing helpful tips and tricks, from how to photograph the moon with an iPhone to cleaning with Coca-Cola. Channels like TED-Ed, Khan Academy, and CrashCourse have also transformed the platform into a virtual classroom accessible to anyone, anywhere.

According to the Pew Research Center's "Social Media Use in 2021" study, during the Covid-19 pandemic, YouTube was the fastest-growing social media platform as people sought ways to use their free time effectively.

However, the platform has also faced criticism regarding its handling of copyrighted content, the promotion of conspiracy theories, and the presence of inappropriate content. Various measures have been taken to address these concerns, including stricter content policies and improved algorithms to filter out harmful content.

KHANH MINH

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/dau-an-20-nam-cua-youtube-post793691.html