Vlogging has become a career that this generation is obsessed with. Young people are grabbing their cameras and recording themselves to sell their various skills for the viewers to watch and it has extensively grown in the past few years with the technological advances this world has made.
Not just the young generation, but even housewives and unemployed men have found a way to earn through online platforms by showcasing their talents over YouTube and let’s face it, they are earning a fortune!
Vlogging has become a source of income for vloggers and a source of entertainment and knowledge for the viewers; whatever you want to see, you can find a plethora of videos on the internet regarding it.
But the question is, how did Vlogging become this popular?
When did it become this popular?
And what does it mean for the future of this industry? Will it flourish?
Or will it be lost in the new advancing world just like DVDs?
I am here to answer just that! I am a vlogger myself and no one can answer these questions better because I’ve been in this area for quite a while now.
History of Vlogging:
Since you’re reading this, I am assuming you know what a vlog is, but if not, then let’s just say a vlog is a blog but in a video format. Now, let’s start in a chronological order.
1- How It Started:
How Vlogging got into being and who was the person who brought it?
I can confidently say, many of you would have never even heard the name Adam Kontras, but he was the person behind this ingenious idea.
Kontras was just a common man with a dream to enter show biz.
And on his journey to achieve that dream, he created something new which is now a very popular source of entertainment.
He was going on a road trip to LA for his show biz dream, and he used to write down blogs to keep his friends and family in the loop.
He first posted a video along with his blog entry on January 2nd, 2000. The video wasn’t a vlog per so, because it was more like a recording of the journey along with the blog entry, but nonetheless Kontras was given the credit for the first ever vlog to be posted.
This is a video of the very first vlog:
Kontras has been posting vlogs since then to date and he posted his latest video 3 weeks ago which is entry #2233. Kudos to his consistency!
2- Then what?
After Kontras, the vlogs became the new trend and musicians and filmmakers started following in Kontras’ footsteps.
Some made websites for the vlogging and later on it was taken to another platform, the infamous YouTube!
In 2005, when YouTube was founded, and its co-founder Jawed Karim was the first person to upload a vlog on YouTube, named “Me at the zoo” on his own channel.
Below is a screenshot of his channel that has reached 2.95 million subscribers though Jawed did not post after his first and only vlog.
*Apart from uploading vlogs on the internet, Nelson Sullivan was the first person to “shoot” a vlog like video where he showed his cat and his dog.
Evolution of Vlogging:
1- How It’s Going:
Now that we know who brought the idea of Vlogging to this world, let’s talk about how it has evolved over the years.
We know it is widely famous all over the world and many people have resorted to YouTube videos and vlogs as their source of entertainment.
What makes these vlogs so popular among this generation is not an unsolved mystery.
Vlogging offers a variety of topics to be explored and most people prefer visual learning. Looking at your dream destinations from the comfort of your bed, learning a new skill within a matter of minutes, getting to know your favorite celebrities with just one click. Who wouldn’t like that?
Celebrities have taken upon themselves to upload vlogs too. They record their routines and their fans find it amusing, some could find their lifestyles relatable as well and that’s what makes it good entertainment.
But it took time for the Vlogging industry to evolve to what it is today, let’s talk about that step by step.
2- YouTube’s Role in the Evolution:
When YouTube was launched back in 2005, Vlogging was taken to another level.
It was a new thing and people found it interesting and it was trending soon.
They would record short videos of themselves with commentaries and upload them on YouTube for the world to see.
By 2006, YouTube became the 5th most popular video streaming website and stats show that approx. a 100 million videos were viewed daily with 65000 new video uploads per day.
In the early 2000s when Vlogging first got popular, people would document their daily lives and their adventures for us but only limited people were able to access that.
Not everyone has the internet available to them and not everyone had computers.
Similarly, this industry was confined to people who had access to cameras and various equipment that goes hand in hand to make good quality videos, and as a matter of fact, quite less people had that kinda advantage.
The way Vlogging is popular now, it wasn’t before but thanks to the new smartphones and their easy accessibility, the doors to Vlogging were opened to a larger chunk of people and now, it has even grown because smartphones have become a necessity and almost everyone has one that they can use to make vlogs.
It isn’t necessary to have an expensive camera and high tech equipment because it all comes packed in one little smartphone, that too, is affordable and available to many.
Casey Neistat's Vlogging Journey Inspired My Career
I first watched Casey Neistat’s vlog where he showed his viewers this amazing Devil’s pool and it was back in 2014.
Me being a traveler, loved how he recorded his experience to share with others and I thought, ‘why that’s a good idea’ and that’s when I decided that I will start my own channel too.
Now Casey has 12.4m subscribers and well, he’s not just confined to the travel Vlogging and same goes for me.
Casey introduced the new way of shooting vlogs and how they can be made more interesting.
He brought ahead the ideas of using various angles, focus points and video editing.
Before him, vlogs were shot from basic point and shoot cameras with little to no editing and hence the videos lacked creativity.
But Casey made vlogs more entertaining and engaging for the audiences!
That’s how the vlogging industry expanded into various branches over time, including videos on baking, crafts, reviews, hacks and what not and the main driver behind this evolution was YouTube.
Casey Neistat's First Vlog
What Is the Future of Vlogging?
With the rapid advancements in technology and growing popularity of vlogs, this industry is unlikely to die down anytime soon.
In fact, it is a great opportunity for young people to enter with new, innovative ideas.
More and more people are diving in to get into this industry and make a name for themselves but it isn’t possible for everyone.
If there are more advanced apps available in the future, the Vlogging as we know today might evolve into something entirely different but it totally depends on what the future holds in terms of technology.
The monetization of YouTube videos has made Vlogging quite popular among people but money is not a long term motivator and we all know that, right?
Once you’ve reached that level of satisfaction in monetary terms, it won’t drive you to create more content.
But, if being a YouTuber is your passion and of many others, and you vloggers love your work, then the future of vlogging is definitely bright!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's):
1- What types of Vlogs are there?
Vlogs can be categorized into various sorts; the most popular being travel vlogs and daily routine vlogs.
There are then sports vlogs, cooking vlogs, how-to videos, tutorials, unboxing videos, product reviews and a lot more.
2- What is the difference between a vlog and a blog?
A Blogs are like websites. You can find content relating to any topic on that blog in a written format. You might find pictures, videos, gifs and other interactive additions there.
A Vlog is just a short version of video blog. It also contains content about specific topics but instead of being in a written format, these are recorded videos of the content where the vlogger speaks and shows visuals.
These are preferred by many over blogs because listening and watching is more convenient and less time-taking than reading, especially when the blogs are too long and there is a lot of content to cover.
3- Who are some famous vloggers on YouTube?
For Informational Videos:
- Rachel Aust: A nutritionist, trainer and a wellness coach.
- Ali Abdaal: A junior doctor at NHS
For Casual Viewing:
- Casey Neistat of course!
For Entertainment:
- PewDiePie
- MrBeast
- Dude Perfect
