According to Statistic Brain, 490 million people use YouTube every month, and they spend a collective 2.9 billion hours watching YouTube videos. That works out to around six hours of video watching per active person per month, on average. I think it’s safe to say that most of those hours are spent on entertainment.
Of the many remarkable things about YouTube is the way it lets people share their artistic talents with a worldwide audience in a way never before possible. No doubt you’ve heard of Psy, but have you heard of Lim Chang Jung—in my view a far better artist? His music video has over seven million views despite not being English friendly. A self-made comedian makes hilarious videos through his MediocreFilms; his “Cell Phone Crashing at the Airport” has over eleven million views since December. The latest video I’ve enjoyed is a musical performance by “Pipe Guy,” an Australian who plays cleverly arranged PVC pipes. His video, only a few days old, has over a million views.
And to think: I am one of the last human beings ever to be born in the pre-Internet age.