TIME magazine wrote an article about YouTube and finding God. The first thought when combining religion and YouTube is probably Obama’s old pastor or clips from TV shows that have religious content, (i.e. South Park episode referring to Mormonismbeing the true religion!). But more and more, YouTube is being used by religious sects to reach potential followers of their religion and to get the truth out.
Think about how much the LDS church has used the YouTube channel. There is Mormon Messages, the Tabernacle Choir and Temples that can be found on YouTube. General Conference can even be found on YouTube.
The Catholic Church uses YouTube to their advantage. If you type in Catholic in the search bar, the suggestions box gives different search options, including songs, mass, priests and Catholics come home.
YouTube is not solely used by one religion, but almost all have a presence on YouTube. It is not posted just by religious leaders, but by everyday people. People bring up religion frequently within conversations, and many of these conversations happen online, and on YouTube. One problem with YouTube is content posted cannot be regulated by the church. Some individuals can post negative views about a religion.
Steve Waldman, founder of the multi-faith website Beliefnet, was quoted in the TIME magazine article saying, “people in my business talked about how the Internet was going to revolutionize religion the way the printing press helped create Protestantism, but it didn’t happen.”
Waldman thinks YouTube may be the “beginning of that kind of transformation.” YouTube has opened the possibility to allow religious sects to connect with the younger generation. I believe it is important to adapt to the changing times and use media that reaches your target audience. It is hard for churches to get the message to younger ages and it is important for them to be involved in an uplifting setting. Religion helps to combat the possible negative activities kids can get involved with, but in order to reach kids you have to use what they are using.
Since YouTube is mainly known for their video clips and homemade movies, why have religions begun to use it to spread religious messages? What made YouTube a plausible way to reach believers?
With the creation of YouTube and its easy access to thousands of video clips, has the Internet increased people’s desire to learn more about religion? Do people use YouTube as a means to be uplifted and watch segments about a specific faith?
I think that with any type of media channel, it can be used for good as well as bad. An example of this is television. It can be used to watch religious ceremonies or events, but it can also be used to watch inappropriate content like pornography. The same applies for YouTube. It can be used for good, (Mormon Messages), but it can also be used for evil, (there is some pretty dirty stuff on there that one could stumble upon by accident...). You bring up a traditional argument that is always being debated..."do improvements in technology make the world a better place, or does it make the world worse?
ReplyDeleteAs for why religions have started reaching out to people through YouTube, that is because of the large following that YouTube brings. It is a huge way to reach people, and is considered another communication channel comparable to TV. Religions are communicating through these channels because they know that people can be reached through them. I don't think that YouTube has increased peoples' desires to learn more about religion, but it has made access to such information that much easier. Therefore people that may not have normally looked into a certain aspect of a religion might be more inclined to do so because the information is so easy to access.
YouTube has become such a big part of our culture. Videos get passed around like the flu. Religious groups have a great opportunity to spread uplifting messages to their members and the rest of the world.
ReplyDeleteI think some religions have different reasoning behind why they choose to use Youtube. I think to some degree some churches use it in order to combat negative publicity. With all of the stuff that is out there about Mormons, it is a good idea to have video's come straight from the church and let the world know exactly who we are. So many people use Youtube as a primary source of obtaining information and with so much out there religions have to protect themselves.
Another reason is purely to share thoughts and messages that can uplift anyone who watches them. Who doesn't like a quality uplifting 2-4 minute video?
Over the summer I worked at the Church Office Building in the welfare department working on media such as Mormon Messages on Youtube. The Church definitely feels Youtube is a great place to be on the web.
With the dawning of YouTube, it was inevitable that this communication channel would be adopted by religious organizations as a means to reach their audiences and gain new audiences.
ReplyDeleteFirst, how could religious organizations NOT adopt this new way of reaching their target audience? It's easily accessed and so, so popular. The videos can be shared among peer groups by word of mouth, through e-mails and social media.
Also, it reaches a group that some religions may have a hard time targeting - youth. Not all churches/religious groups have youth groups (or youth ministries) to get teens and preteens involved in the community. Nor do they all know how to effectively go about getting youth interested in religion. By playing to the interests of the younger generation, they can sway perceptions in their favor.
Second, YouTube provides additional options for viewing after the video you're watching is done. Religious organizations could use this to disseminate additional information. For example, after watching a video about Christ, perhaps you'd like to watch a video of the organization's leader giving a sermon about Christ. People who use YouTube rarely get on to watch JUST one video. Religious organizations most likely know this, and know they can get viewers to watch more of their videos if the viewer is truly interested.
I think YouTube is a great way of sharing religious messages. Of course, YouTube has its share of questionable content, but that's life. With video, images and music can be combined with the spoken word and a positive experience for many can be born out of that one video.
Since the invention of the television back in the day, Americans and others around the world have loved to watch it. YouTube is simply an extension of that. When coupled with the fact that video segments can be just a few minutes long, the genre is great for most people out there. Much has been said of our "get it now, get it fast" mentality nowadays; YouTube fits right in there.
ReplyDeleteI believe YouTube is also popular for religious purposes because the public can view the videos easily and anonymously. A few clicks and a brief search and many videos will pop up on almost any religion. In addition, those searching for answers to religious questions can now do so without needing to contact missionaries or go to church, something they might not wish to do right off the bat before being briefed on the denomination. With YouTube, churches may still reach those seekers they are looking for while these people can avoid any early pressures that may have otherwise stopped them from inquiring about the religion.
Because of YouTube's speed, anonymity and visual aspects, I do believe it has spurred more religious searching. People always have and always will have a yearning to find the truth and guidance in their life; now that it is that much easier, more and more people will continue to use its tools to find the questions in their souls.
YouTube allows religions to post videos that provide accurate and true information about their religion, but because anyone can post just about anything, it also allows false and slanderous information to be posted as well. Sometimes it can be difficult to tell which sources are legitimate and which are not. So while there is greater access to accurate information about religions, there is also greater access to lies and deceitful information.
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