Respectable Resource?

YouTube, the video website that has swept the world, is an incredibly multifaceted media.  Due to it’s varied nature, and relaxed posting rules, both respectable, and questionable videos can be found on the site.  Some of these videos are blocked to guest viewers, notifying them that they must create an account to verify their age and continue watching the video.  This is a feeble, and easily overcome obstacle.  Signing up for an account is simple, and there is nothing to prevent a person from falsifying their age.  With an account, YouTube is wide open.  Viewers can find thousands of videos containing adult material, both sexual and narcotic in nature. 

On the other side of the coin, there are thousands of educational and instructional videos to be found.  These videos offer assistance to viewers struggling with the quadratic formula or balancing a chemical equation.  If a viewer is interested in learning to quilt, knit or crochet, there is an abundance of helpful videos with step-by-step instructions and detailed images. 

There is also another side to this website - one that I have had some exposure to.  There are many men in the world, who are self-proclaimed handymen.  They don’t need how-to books, they don’t need manuals, and they certainly don’t need the help of any professionals.  These men are capable of almost anything.  That is, until they find themselves halfway through the job without any idea how to repair what they’ve torn apart.  Repairing drywall and plumbing are two areas where this tends to happen.  Wives, turn your husbands towards the computer, for help is near!  There are many videos showing how to repair drywall, how to plumb kitchen sinks, and even how to install sub-panels to circuit boards. 

While there are many pros and cons to YouTube, the accessibility of such an abundance of informative and educational videos is simply too much to pass up.  Discretion needs to be taught to younger viewers, and parents must be aware of the dangers that are present.