In the past, whenever I’d hear YouTube, I thought of silly viral videos like ‘Charlie Bit My Finger’ or ‘The Annoying Orange’. I never used to think of YouTube as a place to go for news, but that’s changed.

Since its creation, the video-sharing website has transformed into a platform for discussion of current events and social issues. YouTubers are using this site to spread news and personal experiences faster than ever before.

In addition to YouTube personalities like PewDiePie and Hannah Hart, who make a living off of YouTube, major publications like The New York Times have jumped on board and created their own YouTube channels to supply content for the huge audience that YouTube has generated.

According to the statistics tab on YouTube’s site, almost one-third of all people on the Internet use YouTube — that’s over one billion users.

YouTube is a gigantic stockpile of information and it’s affected the news industry.

It’s right up there with Twitter in regards to utilizing social media as a way to spread information and it gives citizen journalists so much power and control. On the site you can find first-hand accounts of natural disasters, prejudice and any other newsworthy events.

There are so many opportunities to learn on YouTube, and I never saw the site like that before. By utilizing YouTube as a platform of sources, you can find credible information on events and issues from both the present and the past. It really is incredible how much information is uploaded every day.

According to a Reelseo article, around 400 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute.

That’s an obnoxious amount. If you’re interested in what’s going on in the world around you, the interconnected YouTube community is a great place to start.

YouTube has expanded to meet the needs of those interested in current events, social issues, celebrity news, lifestyle choices and of course cute animal videos.

Much like college, there’s a place for everyone on YouTube, and I think that’s why it’s been able to expand to where it is today.

Samantha Karam is a columnist for The Kent Stater. Contact her at [email protected].