In a world where citizens are becoming extremely dependent on technology to define every aspect of their day to day life, one can’t help but think if, one day, we will look back at the time where technological developments were coming out of the woodwork like the 80’s cocaine age, and ask ourselves, was it worth it? And that is what Youtuber and now investigative journalist, Shane Dawson, brought to the either of human consciousness.
Shane Dawson has been an internet rebel since the internet truly began. It seems like in this culture, citizens forget to realize the internet is merely 22 years old, in a country that is only 241 years old, that operates in a world that has countries as old as Jesus Christ. We are naturally a youthful thinking nation, and the internet belongs to the youth. Shane Dawson has always been the true pioneer of internet and YouTube culture, with his ability to capture the dark humor everyone was thinking, in a truly dark and scary world.
The millennial and Genz generations, are the only generations that didn’t grow up in the “Summerland” child hood. The propaganda tactic that fooled older generations into believing, that the system of American reality is a beautiful dream of union, instead of the nightmare reality of a nation that is quite rigged against the common welfare of we the people. This generation grew up in the land of Pedophiles, adultery, mainstream porn stars, 9/11, pollution, opioid addiction, extreme police brutality, corporation corruption, political corruption, sextape socialites, Jerry springer, reality TV, and school shootings. So, while older generations may have all dealt with those realities as well, but, not in the vast mainstream number as the Millennial and Gen Z generation. Because they grew up under the scope of instant access to global information. A key component to Shane Dawson’s content.
Dawson knows his audience, and unlike other YouTubers and other Social influencers, who grew their followings quite overnight do to viral success, Dawson has had an ongoing and personal relationship with his fans, followers, and subscribers. He began his journey, when YouTube was in the realm and culture of Lindsay Lohan tabloids, trucker hats, and camo. Yes, YouTube is just merely 15 years old, like most of the Gen Z generation, who have been navigating and maturing with YouTube as well.
Dawson truly began to become a success and internet pioneer in 2008, With his viral and successful video, “Fred is Dead”, one of YouTube’s first YouTube parodies, and social commentary on the mainstream affects that were beginning to take place in the YouTube community, a land of the independent film maker. At this time, YouTube was just three years old, and YouTuber’s like Fred, and Kelly,(shoes, oh my god) ruled the internet traffic. But when Shane entered the scene, he offered something unique. Sketch comedy, with a Myspace tone, that echoed to the emo hearts of the Hot topic shopping, My Chemical Romance head banging teenagers, of the very first digital age.
The true element that made Dawson a YouTube staple and true internet pioneer, was his offering of guidance and advice to a lost and lonely group of individual souls, who were consuming and observing a negative and neglectful society, of the materialistic and egotistical greedy perception of adult authority. He tied in his sketches with doses of social commentary, comedy, and a theme of the day or week. He connected with his viewers to open up and express their emotions, rather than cut and self-sabotage their emotions. He gave his audience the acceptance and approval, they were seeking as the new generation of misfits and punks, who were quirky, and thought about art and space, under the scope and rise of social media, and cyber bullying.
This leads him to today. 11 years after his viral video, 20 million subscribers, and the debut of his brand new 2part investigative conspiracy theory video, that has 22 million views for part 2, and 32 million for part 1, that is 54 million views all together. It is safe to say, that Shane Dawson is the true navigator and voice of his generation. Dawson has always pushed boundaries, but this his biggest yet.
Dawson, proposed many intriguing thoughts and conversation topics, that American society has been ignoring for far too long. Topics that range from the continual and potentially dangerous developments of artificial intelligent technologies, ie, deep fakes and voice modification. But he also touched on another subject that is all too real and all too common, human trafficking through online dating… And lastly, he began to investigate and question the subconscious effects that big corporations have on the youth, and American society.
But the last conversation Dawson began to create was not in his self-produced investigative documentary. It came from the backlash he received from the corporation he was investigating, ordering him to take down his documentary, even though he took all the proper legal precautions. So, this begins to lead citizens to question, how powerful is their first amendment right, when the citizens of America want to exercise and challenge their products and services they are consuming? Because that is the theme of Dawson’s content, and recent video. He gives his audience, awareness to the corruption that lies behind the news camera and teleprompter. He is doing what most journalist are no longer abiding by, asking why all of this negativity is occurring in our world. Investigating why our society might not make sense, instead of just informing us, what is going on.
Dawson is quite single handedly shifting multimedia culture into a brand-new dimension and era of reality existence. He is entering us in the age, of the self-made investigative reporter. A realm of YouTube culture that has not truly been explored. Dawson gave the first self-made and self-produced investigative documentary, by following all the legal precautions, to spread social awareness, amongst a constantly distracted and misguided generation. Dawson is making research cool again, and sure is to inspire new content creators, that want to do their own investigations, on societal topics that intrigue, affect, and influence human and American society and reality.
Dawson is challenging the norm of modern corporation umbrella journalism, by taking their job, and showing them how journalism is truly expressed and explored. By being the voice of a generation, a voice for the voiceless, by putting time, effort, and research, to bring the truth to light, or inspire an audience to become more socially aware of the developments that are happening before their eyes. Not just simply narrating from a teleprompter than cutting to a McDonalds commercial. No, Shane Dawson is telling the consumer to wake up, research the societal manipulation, and utilize social media, for social justice, and social change.
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