YouTube, which uses the latest emergence technology that provides video-sharing services to users all around the world, where users are able to upload files to YouTube servers as well as view videos which consists of numerous genre, regardless whether the content is offensive, illegal, and videos can be animations, shows, footage of public events and personal recordings (YouTube 2008). Furthermore, YouTube allows its users to post and tag videos and post comment in a threaded discussion format, in which once the users views a certain video, they are able to leave down comments in the discussion area in an interactive way, so they are able to discuss and exchange ideas regarding a certain topic. According to Walsh (2006, p.30), this form of website varies in the modes they use, as they combine images along with menu bars, hyperlinks, video clips, animation, graphics and music effects, which is multimodal text, as all the elements attributes towards interactive tool.
Criticism of YouTube
- Copyright
- Infringement complaints
- Violence
- Corruption
- Animal abuse
- Censorship by country
Copyright
Viacoms owns a number of well-known brand (MTV), Source: BBC NewsThroughout this year, YouTube has been frequently criticized for failing to ensure that its online content adheres to the law of copyright. Therefore, at the time when users upload video it is shown with a screen which indicates that:
‘Do not upload any TV shows, music videos, music concerts or commercials without permission unless they consist entirely of contents you created yourself’
For example, Viacom, an American Media Conglomerate had demanded $1 billion in damages as they found more than 150,000 unauthorized clips of its material being viewed “an astounding 1.5 billion times” (BBC 2007).
Ethical Issues
YouTube has been alleged for being unethical against posting videos which reflects a negative impact towards the society. They have been criticized for hosting videos of real-life animal cruelty, as in one example of video posted on YouTube in March 2008, showing a US Marine throwing a puppy off cliff and in another example, there was a video showing one animal being fed to another, such as live food given to snakes (Brooke 2007).
Offensive Content
Furthermore, YouTube has been criticized for not enforcing strict rules on the content of videos and comments on videos that may be deemed offensive (Educause 2006). For example, there were people who uploaded the Prophet Muhammad cartoons on YouTube which was created by Germans, has riled the Muslim World, as there were images of Muhammad wearing a turban shaped as a bomb with a burning fuse, and another portraying him holding a sword, his eyes covered by a black rectangle, which was completely portrayed as a cartoon character, in which it is inappropriate to upload such video which will offense a certain culture, especially regarding religion (Foxnews 2006). As for Malaysia context, there is an example of a Chinese boy by the name of Namawee which uploaded a six-minute rap video on YouTube that has been viewed by more than half a million people, in which the contenst about him criticizing about various races and current happenings in Malaysia which had offended the government and the citizens of Malaysia (Youtube 2008). According to Kress & Van Leeuwen (1997 p.58), due to the differences in cultural context, when there is “difference of power” in a social structure, it will affect individuals decision on whether to accept or refuse the communication.
Beneficial Video
Math teaching video (Source: YouTube)In YouTube, there is also educational videos which teaches students on a certain subject, an example in the Math Teaching Video which consists of over 500,000 viewers. Where else, students are able to learn maths conveniently when they access to the site.
In my opinion, YouTube should control all the videos uploaded by users, as in they should filter it before hand and then allow people to view the videos, in order to prevent offensive content videos to appear in their site. All in all, YouTube have to seriously look into setting up more barriers which can prevent videos with vulgar or sexual contents, so that YouTube is safe to be viewed by all ages, regardless a small kid or an adult.
Reference List
BBC News 2007, Viacom will sue YouTube for $1bn,viewed at 5th June 2008,
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6446193.stm>
Brooke, S 2007, Animal cruelty films on YouTube, viewed 6th June 2008,
<http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article228438%200.ece >
Educause 2006, 7 Things you should know about YouTube, viewed 6th June 2008,
<http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7018.pdf>
Foxnews 2006, French, German Newspaper Run Muhammad Cartoons, viewed at 5th June 2008,
<http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,183464,00.html>
Kress, G & van Leeuwen, T. 1997, Page to screen: taking literacy into the electronic era, “Chapter 3: Visual and verbal modes of representation in electronically mediated communication: the potentials new forms of text”, Allen & Unwin, New South Wales, pp.53-79.
Walsh, M. 2006,” ‘Textual shift’: Examining the reading process with print, visual and multimodal texts,” Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, vol.29, no.1, pp.27-34.
YouTube 2008, Company History, viewed at 5th June 2008,
1 comment:
YouTube should emphasize on their security measures.
Post a Comment