Am I the only one who doesn't think YouTube is a social network?

Hey Guys,

I'm not trying to be pedantic here, but am I the only one here who doesn't see how YouTube is classified as a social network or as part of social media? I understand that it's an important part of online marketing and that yes people do tend to share YouTube videos (albeit through other mediums usually)... but it just seems like there's nothing particularly social about it.

You don't really ever speak directly to people (I don't anyhow). You don't really send videos directly to other users... and I find that more often than not it's something I watch when I'm on my own.

I would love to have someone try to explain to me what makes this a social network-- I freely accept that maybe I'm the only one but I just don't really get it...

 

I don't think its one

 

Comments, messages, thumbs up/down votes, subscribers, video responses. YouTube is a video broadcasting platform with some social networking features.

 

I think that YouTube is a partial social-network, because it does have features like sending messages and commenting. However, it is not like all of my friends are registered there and if they are, it isn't really comfortable to communicate with them via YouTube.

 

YouTube is a social media.
The five attributes of a social network are Participation, Openness, Conversation, Community and Connectedness. Youtube has all these attributes and is one of the best social networks on the internet.

 

YouTube is most definitely social media

 

I'm inclined to agree with this view. I don't engage with any other users directly (short of watching a video or two here and there I guess I'm somewhat connected to the person that posted it). I definitely get the sharing aspect I just don't think YouTube has a community as such... just my two cents but thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts!

 

Youtube is above all else a video site.
A video site that can be used for anything and everything - including 'socializing'

Right now it is googles way of trying to insinuate itself between two top sites it wishes it could own - facebook and twitter.
Thanks goodness they don't own 'it all'.

 

Youtube is definitely a social network by all standards.

Individual users have creative control over their own profiles and supply user created content

Users comment on user created content

Users communicate with one another in public and private discussion - usually in relation to profiles and content

(by the way DP is a social network also )

 

You don't "have" to socialize on YouTube. You can simply go watch videos. But many, many users do talk to each other - they "friend" each other, post blogs, comments, private message...on and on. So, yes, technically it is a social network. Sorry!