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Reality Question for you YouTubers!
I am part of a team of researchers doing an ethnography of YouTube culture for a class at Kansas State University taught by Dr. Michael Wesch (mwesch). We are creating a video documentary of YouTube that will be posted to YouTube at the conclusion of our research. We will also be writing papers and giving conference presentations on this research. To see our work in progress, visit our blog at If you have any questions or concerns you may contact Dr. Michael Wesch at mike.wesch@gmail.com or Dr. Rick Scheidt, Chair, Committee on Research Involving Human Subjects, 203 Fairchild Hall, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, (785) 532-3224.

Channel: People & Blogs
Uploaded: March 9, 2007 at 4:49 pm
Author: thepoasm

Length: 00:06:13
Rating: 4.05
Views: 9260

Tags: reality theory philosophy anthropology youtube ethnography ksudigg

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Video Comments:
Heissenburger (November 20, 2008 at 9:51 am)
You are effectively talking to me via your "this" (web-cam, another mediator besides air) .

A "non-essentialist" accepts that reality is (at least partially) reflexive, so you are (co-)creating reality, not just being a passive observer. Via YouTube, you can make new friends even across the globe, and/but there is nothing to stop your usual friends from seeing what a freak you can be on YouTube. 'Virtual' reality is a part of 'real' reality.
sylvanpine (November 15, 2008 at 3:09 am)
i really enjoyed the video, the question even more! which i will definitely respond to.
but since it's a long response i will give u a video response. in order to do that i will have to go out and buy a webcam and a microphone! because your question was stimulating enough for me to actually go to the trouble of doing so :D
never the less, i will post my video response, soon...
take care and say high to prof wesch for me!
love his work
self0surr (October 8, 2008 at 4:04 pm)
I think Baudrillard would've enjoyed a lot watching this video...

the MIRROR moment, also seen in the conference-videoproject of Wesch is ...
as the discover of 'the holy moment' in André Bazin's words, ...

M. Wesch with his team (with you) are doing a great job. THANKS.
echever7 (September 22, 2008 at 12:48 pm)
Talking in real life...talking to youtubers, hmmmm. Soon, talking to youtubers must be considered as 'real life'. Youtube, the net is part of our realities. We already designed what 'mask' put to go on youtube, what mask we like, and what dislike, as in 'real life'. Is talking to the phone 'real life'?.Yes, of course, but once upon a time this question was crucial. Talking to an individuum you don`t see was kind of traumatic at the dawn of telecommunications.
P.S I like you. Really
Hypholia (August 31, 2008 at 3:01 pm)
Well for myself I just think there is not just one reality there is many of them and we adapt ourselves to wich one of them. We have many identities too and it's not just an youtube thing. You don't act the same way if you're talking to a kid or a policeman or with you're boyfriend, etc. Are you acting because of that ? No, you just choose the more appropriate part of you're personnality, you adapt. Well that's my opinion.
gambara29 (August 23, 2008 at 10:03 am)
reality = a plane of existence, most of all you create our own reality. u can only INFLUENCE other people's reality. point is this all reality is an illusion. what is "real" like real life ya... u go ahead and think its real b/c u can touch it.... enstien e=mc square... nothing is real but consciousness but what is that? point is humanity knows nothing of nothing our whole society and reality on this planet is a construct or idea of a person not "real" just a program.
babaybluebutterfly (August 14, 2008 at 1:05 am)
if it's this hard to figure out whats real...
how the crap are we gonna figure out whats fake?
kenellak (August 6, 2008 at 11:47 pm)
try a blow dryer to dry out your phone, and yes we are creating reality. everything we do as humans does something to reality.
ritmnews (August 6, 2008 at 2:30 am)
Becky:

Reality is a judgement, but as such, to make that judgement correctly we'd need to be both infinitely objective and infinitely wise, and if so, we'd probably not then need YouTube.
SafetyLight (August 5, 2008 at 6:05 am)
Everything is a big ol' hologram. (Space between and within atoms being what it is. There is only 'energy', blah blah blah.) Only Thought is real.

In the world of thought there are falsehoods and truths. Real is that which is True. The medium is not relevant.

Simple.

Here's a truth: Cell Phones fuzz awareness. Maybe you dropped yours twice on purpose. The toilet was the right place. Now THERE'S a metaphor!

In a world made of thought, metaphor is king.

Listen to the subconscious. It knows.