VLOGGING – A NEW EXPLOSION

A very few of such vlogs give us content that is new or something unknown to us. It is the usual 'A day in my life' or 'I took my dog to the park' or maybe even 'My kids got into a fight'.

Growing up, all of us were practically hooked to the Idiot-box. I wish our mothers had an idea of how we would turn out twenty years down the line. From being hooked to the Idiot Box to becoming hooked to the Mini-Idiot Box, a new form from of content has flooded all our lives. It is the era of vlogging – a colourful mixture of video + blogging, which provides a peek into anyone's life who puts it online.

From motivational speeches to skincare essentials, quick content has become the equivalent of the previously revered dadi-nani of our households. This form of content has become widespread with insane amount of views online. The question is: why has such impromptu content become so relatable to the viewers on such a mass scale?

WHY VLOGGING HAS EXPLODED

The answer is simple. A primary factor in this development is the reduced attention span. In the era of instant delivery, quick Google searches and instant gratification, the virtue of patience is lost. Most of us want something quick to stimulate the already stimulated mind. The hour long commute seems lonely without our Airpods set snugly where they belong and blaring something that we only pay half our attention to.

The game of making profit through online work is based on 'traffic'. For every like, share, subscribe' that a vlogger gets, his/ her video is pumped more and more into the mainstream. And that further tips the scale into a vlogger becoming a full-blown 'successful content creator'.

The 'successful content creator' game today consists of keeping the audience engaged. People are even ready to spend their time watching a video of a Youtuber buying bananas. The colourful banter that is shared between the two is enjoyed by the viewer.

While online books and podcasts is a fantastic source of consuming information, vlogs these days demand no commitment of patience, longevity of hard work or even adding a value to any of our lives. Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against this form of content. But it is certainly baffling to see how we have been paralyzed now to bring ourselves to watch videos hoping for the same level of interaction in our lives.

Surprisingly, very few of these vlogs give us content that is new or something unknown to us. Rarely will you watch a Paragliding experience at Bir Billing or trekking the Rock Mountains or someone in the Silicon Valley doing some charity. It is the usual 'A day in my life' or 'I took my dog to the park' or maybe even 'My kids got into a fight'.

Another factor in the supposed explosion of vlog as content is the sheer convenience that is brought on for the viewers. From one video to another, you can hop on to whatever jiggles your jollies the right way! An endless stream of videos is now just a few fingertips away.

But hang on. It isn't all your fault. If you observe carefully, the algorithm is working at its best to promote this kind of content on our devices. For every video that you watch, there are five subsequent 'suggestions' on your list to strengthen your addiction.

The world has witnessed a dramatic change after the COVID pandemic. With more and more shrinking of our physical presence, it has been substituted with more and more online presence. For content creators today, it is so much more convenient to create content that is quick and does not require too much of investment of time or money. No 'artist' or writer wants to commit themselves to the earlier version of content creation like comedy sketches or plays anymore. The reason is simple: that vlogging requires minimum effort in production, writing, crew, paraphernalia and so on.

The dynamic between audience and digital media is turning more and more into that of an addict and his cocaine supplier. Once deemed a source of information, it has now become a full blown economic research facility where consumers like you and I are mere lab rats. Before we move on to complete extermination, we might as well try to reduce our dependence on such sources for our existence.

Until next time!