From dog training to unboxing videos to the weird and wonderful – welcome to YouTube

If you’re a parent and you’ve not yet been sucked into the world of kids ‘unboxing’ tiny plastic items and blind bags, then kudos to you. But I’m sure (hoping) there are other parents like me who have stood in stunned silence at the phenomenon that mesmerise’s the most unstoppable of kids.

So it shouldn’t come as any surprise that YouTube has overtaken TVNZ1 as New Zealand’s most used media. In our household alone, this week it’s been used to teach amateur car mechanics (hubby), while I’ve turned to it for lessons on getting a dog to walk nicely on a leash and Mr 11 has taken tours of fish markets around the world (don’t ask!) thanks to CoralFish12g.

According to NZ on Air’s Where are the Audiences? 2020 research shows traditional media audiences have been overtaken by digital media for the first time. The only surprising part, for me at least, is that it’s the first time.

In a world where we can indulge in any weird or fanciful passion via the magic of the internet – and instantly – the places we turn to content continues to grow. While a decade ago the idea of being a ‘youtuber’ wasn’t a career path, these days people filming themselves sharing their passions can turn you into a star.

Whether you like it or not, with so many people turning to YouTube for content comes opportunities for anyone with a passion or a product. If you’ve got the niche, you can probably find the online audience. It’s worth thinking about…

By Rebecca Malcolm, YouTube watcher, dog walker and mother to nature obsessed children.