Andrew Keen, holds that we learn bad info from the web. He says that the web is corrupting our minds with inaccurate knowledge posted by amateurs.
Like all overbearing statements, this is one which does not hold true. But it does have some validity to it. There are people who know nothing, and posted on subjects with faulty information.
However, I am an avid youtube user. My main reason for using youtube is to learn new techniques and or songs.
I think Andrew Keen overlooked something that is vital for the learning process. That is peer instruction. There are certain aspects of learning, such as guitar skill mastery. Which need peers in order to be achieved. It is the multiple permutations of method, the countless ways to achieve one thing, which cannot be learned without peers.
When I look up a cover, i'm not looking for entertainment, or having the song played perfectly by a master guitarist. I am looking to see how a peer solved the same problem which I am facing. Hoping that by seeing their solution I will learn some tid bits of clues as to how to do this my self.
I think youtube is a valuable learning tool. If we break it down, people don't always learn in the same ways. Some learn by hearing, some by practice, others by theory, and lastly some by visual example. Youtube provides with three of those different ways of learning.
In conclusion, youtube is not a textbook, but it helps people to learn in ways textbooks cannot.
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I can agree with you on your points. What sucks is the fact that web space is wasted on youtube by some jack-asses posting USELESS how-tos, such as how to eat pizza rolls. I'd link it, but your head would explode due to the sheer retardation involved. I've gotten many laughs, videos of cars, and many other things I can't remember at the moment out of youtube, but DAMN!
ReplyDeleteSometimes, you sit there watching videos, finish up, and ask yourself "Why the hell did I just waste so much of my time watching this shit?" It can be a problem for some.
I spend a lot of time on youtube as well. However I watch purely for entertainment. I've never been taught something from youtube, well yes there was that one time I learned how to play a Brand New song on the guitar, but other than that, it's simply golf videos. But there are a lot of useless videos posted that don't deserve to be on there. Youtube should have a requirement for posting, you can't be dumb.
ReplyDeleteHAHA omg why would someone put up how to eat pizza rolls..
ReplyDeleteThe point that I didn't stress well enough, is that youtube is not a textbook. You can learn things, sometimes things you can't get from experts. But thats not the purpose of youtube. People should be able to put up w/e they want.
Mind you sometimes I do feel like wtf why did I watch that. But some people might enjoy watching those things. Who knows maybe someone doesn't know how to eat pizza rolls?? lol
I just feel that keen took youtube out of context.
What song was it btw?
ReplyDeleteAlright, I never thought about using Youtube as an instructional medium, but you're right.
ReplyDeleteI mainly use Youtube to show my daughter short videos so she will sit still while I cut her nails. We have talked to her about starting some sort of instructional class. She wants to learn to play the drums but I think she doesn't have the dexterity for that yet (put I will definitely hook her up when she does). She either wanted karate or gymnastics. I showed her many videos of each and she has decided to give gymnastics a try.
When I read Keen I think of a point he is missing (this point will be expressed in my paper). No one is going to change the fact that amateurs are publishing. What we need to do is make a point to teach, beginning at a young age, how to research the source of the info being published on the web and decide if it is credible.