Racism and YouTube

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses racism with relation to the video sharing site, YouTube. It describes the principle and growth of the site. The paper then discusses the fact that the comment boards of popular videos can contain insults, threats, profanity and, to a large and unsettling extent, racism. The paper defines racist comments and then discusses how this phenomenon can occur.

From the Paper:

"When a user joins YouTube, he or she must agree to the site's Terms of Service. According to these terms, "You further understand and acknowledge that you may be exposed to user submissions that are inaccurate, offensive, indecent, or objectionable, and you agree to waive, and hereby do waive, any legal or equitable rights or remedies you have or may have against YouTube." Though the phrase "may be" might more accurately read "will," this phrase captures both the strength and the potential failings of user-generated content. YouTube provides a freedom that, like all freedoms, is prone to abuse. The proliferation of racism on YouTube is both abhorrent and disheartening, but suggests a need for debate that currently is not or cannot be met by corporate media. While You Tube allows racism to reach a public audience, pushing racist sentiments out in the open simultaneously makes them vulnerable. Critically, the format of YouTube allows these sentiments to be criticized, debated, and ultimately debunked."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Time Magazine online. Best Invention: YouTube. By Lev Grossman. http://www.time.com/time/2006/techguide/bestinventions/inventions/youtube.html

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• Essay # 55128 : "Racism and Poverty"
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• Research Paper # 70316 : "Racism and Violence"

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