Is YouTube Making Us Smarter? | Idea Channel | PBS Digital Studios

Did you know there's a place where you can learn just about anything you'd like? It's true! It's called YOU TUBE!!! Sure, YouTube has hundreds of thousands of hours of deliciously time-wasting content, but it's a whole lot more than just a black hole of pet videos and FAIL clips. If you know where to go, YouTube has some of the best educational content on the planet! And although watching Kahn Academy all day might be a bit dry, the creativity of YouTube creators has allowed "education" to be transformed in variety of amazing and engaging ways. YouTube probably won't replace schools anytime soon, but it's a pretty rad alternative. So time to stop watching cat videos and get your learn on!

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[meganrwake]

I'm 14 years old and I watch all of those channels regularly because they are genuinely interesting! They seem to make me suddenly more interested in math because of viheart, excited for physics because of many different channels, are now interested in psychology and continue to be interested in history because of crash course, all because I have found them somewhere on YouTube! I'm so glad that this was talked about because it is an opinion that I deeply agree with!

[alexiapissi]

Wow watching this during the pandemic feels... strange. Some teachers and professors should really learn that assigning a pre recorded lecture isn't the same as attending a real one

[linguaphilly]

First of all, I think watching educational youtube videos definitely does make you feel smarter, which can actually make you a little smarter, just by changing your attitude towards your intellectual capabilites.
Secondly, I think that watching these kind of videos can spark a certain fascination with a subject, which could drive people to learn more about certain subjects through other mediums than youtube.

Anyway, if it weren't for youtube I would have a very hard time with understanding English, but through many years of hours per week spent watching youtube, I've acquired a pretty proficient level of English (compared to the average Dutch native) if I may say so myself. (The structure of my sentences probably need some work though)
Youtube, TED and wikipedia have pretty much been my only connections to the English language as a Dutch guy, so thanks!

[Ccccc]

And that proud moment your homeland is mentioned lol

[dalesnale]

It's comforting to know there is a knowledge base developing in harmony with humanity's collectively shrinking attention span, decreased literacy and increased tuitions. Great mind-blow suggestions!

[SuperMasakado]

I like to tell my students "your education is yours, you have to make it interesting." No matter what medium you like to use to learn in the end, whatever it is you want to learn you have to figure out the best way to learn it.
Here are some examples. When learning programming languages I first started by retyping lines and retyping over and over until it came natural. Then I had to work one project after the other, interesting ones I made up.
Books can be very boring, so I like to doodle little pics in the margins or re-write the most important word in the paragraph on the side. You just have to do something! Watch a boring youtube video of an MIT professor and for fun type in key words he says into google images and see what pops up.

[Captain-Jinn]

It's like the internet. Some things will make you smarted, some things will make you laugh, and some things will make you cry. Certain aspects make you smart, but not the whole. Maybe the majority, but not the whole.

[SangoProductions]

Interesting how this video shows up in my suggestions box not long after I put up a video talking about the benefits of video teaching on my other channel.

[TheTimmerKimmer]

Youtube has become on of the world's greatest form of, not just entertainment, but network of people who are willing to put up their own personal knowledge and expertise. Though I normally watch Youtube for fun, I have found myself using Youtube to figure out how to patch holes in the wall, or learn to play the guitar, or learn a little bit of a second language. I think it's great!

[Cidtalk]

Education doesn't stop with children or college students...I'm 45 and have become thrilled and inspired to learn more about science (superficially) more about history, more about a lot of things that finally found that spark in my brain, deeply buried in my youth. Grown ups...watch more YouTUBE, find the good stuff. There is top quality information, soak it up!!

[linguaphilly]

I'm already subscribed to everyone of these educational channels + more. I have a problem.

[ChadVulpes]

Thank fucking Christ for the internet. If not for the internet I would have NEVER learned English.
(Not a native speak, if you didn't get it.)

[tgrrrlnora]

I totally use stuff that I learnt from youtube (looking at you Idea channel) in my BA in fine arts classes....so so so invaluable!
Thanks Mike and all you beautiful IC kids <3

[katianovakk]

Khan Academy's videos have sometimes taught me more than what my teachers are capable of, and it's a relief to know that educational videos are always there as a back-up in case I really don't grasp something. Also, it's easier for me to understand because I'm a visual learner.

[Angelscurse]

OK So I happened to stumble across this channel and have been watching it for the past hour. ANYWAY! This video is completely on the ball! Youtube is a fantastic educational tool I wish I'd had youtube when I was younger and in school. I've learned so many things such as anatomy, pathology, I watch the news, and a lot of video game stuff. Both of my parents are teachers and my father also runs the technology department for their district and he strongly encourages youtube as a resource.

[JeremyStrickling]

Knowledge is for those to seek/apply it, YouTube can help you through your homework, teach you something new, or entertain you with a dog on a turtle. YouTube is, by far, my favorite website because of the endless sea of content it provides.

[hazonku]

I've been a member of the YouTube community for over several years now & I've learned a lot! I've learned Photoshop, Flash, Cinema4D, Zbrush, various video & audio programs, & a ton of other things just by watching YouTube videos. I've even gone so far as to share things I've learned in a couple of my own Tutorial videos & those are the most viewed on my channel. It's great to see that overall YouTube is being used for a lot more than cat videos & whatnot.

[cloudtrader]

I use YouTube as a supplement to my teaching, as a way to inspire my teaching, and as a way to relieve stress over teaching. My drama students have used YT to help with and inspire both scripting and acting. My language students have posted their own video performances based off of English literature to YT, which I believe encourages them to learn and to be proud. I am very thankful to have YT as a resource, both for myself and my students.

[MotherGrits]

many videos and channels can be extremely useful and act as a supplement to lectures. it's sorting through the rest that wastes time. thank you for not wasting our time with your intelligent commentary!

[GrowlyGal]

I think Youtube is awesome in that ultimately one of our greatest adaptations is the ability to communicate and learn from the experiences of other humans without having to figure things out for ourselves. With the ability to share our experiences and abilities with people all over the world in such an accessible way, it makes sense for us to pick up more :)