Who would you be without the Vlogbrothers?

[Sarah Elizabeth]

I am doing a project for a Folklore class at my University. The focus of my project is the YouTube Community. I want to look at how YouTube channels can create communities and also how they affect a person’s personal identity. I have a few questions to ask in order to help me learn more.

 

Personally, I belong to Nerdfighteria, the community inspired by the Vlogbrothers, so my project is mostly centered on that community. I would appreciate any feedback from other nerdfighters or even from anyone inspired by another specific channel.

 

So, if you wouldn’t mind helping me out, here are the questions I’d like answers to:

What is the channel on YouTube that has had the most affect on your personal identity?

How has that YouTube/A Specific Channel on YouTube affected your personal identity? OR Who would you be without YouTube/A Specific Channel?

Do you feel as if you belong to a community on YouTube?

If so, what do you feel as if you receive from that community?

Don’t feel pressured to answer all of these questions, answering just one would be a help to me. Also, don’t feel as if you have to give short answers. If you have a story to tell, I’d like to hear it. If you have ever written a blog or made a video that you think captures the idea of these questions, please link me!

I have cross posted this to Tumblr, so feel free to answer there as well. Finally, if you do respond to this on Tumblr (http://www.tumblr.com/blog/saireeelizabeth), tag your post NerdfighterFolklore or YouTubeFolklore to make sure I can find it. :)

DFTBA!

[ryan brennan]

The channel with the biggest affect on who I am is indeed vlogbrothers. The vlogbrothers aren't the youtubers I find most entertaining, but theyre way up there.

If it weren't for vlogbrothers, I would never have joined nerdfighters, and if it wasn't for nerdfighters, I would never have gotten a girlfriend, so I would never have learnt that there are actually girls out there who DO like guys like me. Before I joined nerdfighters I was under the impression that all the girls my age want are good-looking, confident assholes, because those are the only guys in my area that can get girls. What little confidence I did have about girls has been increased just enough to give me hope. In short, vlogbrothers has helped me to make friends and become more comfortable around girls. Of course, out of my 3 total girlfriends, I've met none irl. Hopefully I can change that. :)

I definitely feel like I belong in nerdfighteria. :)

I feel like I receive many things from our community. I feel like I receive friendship, support, entertainment and help, when I need it.

[Sarah Elizabeth]

Hey Ryan! Thank you so much for your response. It is a big help to my project! :)

[KevinC]

I tried to be concise with the answers. 

 

 

What is the channel on YouTube that has had the most affect on your personal identity?

The vlogbrothers.

 

 

How has that Specific Channel on YouTube affected your personal identity?

 

They've shown me that I'm not alone with my enjoyment of learning. Recently I have been expressing my desire to learn and my enjoyment of learning a lot more than I used to but I still felt like I was in the minority with a lot of my friends just not understanding it. I feel almost liberated in a sense, that I know there are lots of other people like me out there.

 

 

Do you feel as if you belong to a community on YouTube?

 

I feel as if I belong in nerdfighteria. It drew me in after I watched the first Crash Course: World History video.

 

 

 

If so, what do you feel as if you receive from that community?

 

Mutual respect and acceptance. I've tended to be criticised about my desire to learn due to growing up in a very sport oriented culture. I soon found that excelling in sport was far better so I focused on that rather than learning although I could never really hide my excitement of learning something new and interesting. There is also the great videos produced that I enjoy watching and learning from.

[Sarah Elizabeth]

Hey Kevin, Thanks for the reply. I like that you know what video brought you into the community.

 

Ryan, do you have any idea what video that was for you?

[spiderboenz]

What is the channel on YouTube that has had the most affect on your personal identity?  My channel.

How has that YouTube/A Specific Channel on YouTube affected your personal identity? OR Who would you be without YouTube/A Specific Channel?  I would be exactly the same.

Do you feel as if you belong to a community on YouTube? No.

If so, what do you feel as if you receive from that community? see above...