YouTube as a Stress Reliever (Fav Corner of Internet)

YouTube as a Stress Reliever

            The internet is a magical place. For all the young people born around the 2000s, they basically grew up in the technological world surrounded by smart phones, light weight laptops, and the presence of wi-fi in almost every household, and I am exactly like one of them. I remember pleading my parents to buy me a phone in middle school and when I got one in high school, I felt I was so ready to survive through anything, as if I could change the world with only my phone. Now that I am in college, alone with no one to nag at me, I feel like my face is constantly in front of a screen; even if I use the bathroom, I have to take my phone with me. As a result, I believe that mobile application designers are smart and they know the psychology behind addiction because many popular apps are designed in such a way where one context easily comes after another with just a single slight scroll action, and that is just the entrance of the rabbit hole; before I know it, it is already midnight and I have not even started my homework. However, with so much of my time spent on my phone and surfing the internet, I have found a particular corner that holds a special place in my heart.

            The widely known YouTube is a platform for sharing videos and making comments. I specifically enjoy watching a channel called Domics, my favorite corner of the internet. The youtuber creates original animations that usually tell his everyday life experiments and stories, fortunate or unfortunate. It is told in a comical way and also by the end of the video, there is a life lesson or a general take away in which I really enjoy; it combines entertainment and education all in one at the same time. Thus, Domics, the greatest gift a college student could ever ask for, is the best reliever for stress because he creates laughter and personal connections between people across the globe.

            Domics’ videos are rather relatable. He tells the same stories that I have experienced or seen others experience. Specifically, in one video, he talks about college textbooks and how they are too expensive in relation to their usage period. Looking at the prices in the school store, I too think that these books “better be made out of dragon scales and printed on unicorn blood” (Domics), agreeing with what Domics stated in his video. I like his sense of humor and interpretation about people, thus making me laugh. Laughter is categorized as a form of stress called eustress. Actually, “mirthful laughter…does modify…some neuroendocrine and classical stress hormone levels. Cortisol and dopac levels decreased, epinephrine levels were lower, and the growth hormone levels decreased”. (Lee). The Western Kentucky University studied the effects of mirthful laughter on stress. They found that “beneficial effects of exposure to a humorous stimulus on self-reported stress were supported, as persons viewing the humorous video reported significantly decreased stress on the following video”. (Mary). It appears that in the brief period of Domics' videos, laughter may be a quick and effective method to reduce my stress levels from college work. 

            On the other hand, communications and personal connections are the key to stress resilience. Kelly McGonigal stated in a Ted-Talk episode that stress responses want the person to be surrounded by people that understand him or her. (“How to Make Stress Your Friend”). Oxytocin released from stressful situations actually protects the cardiovascular system from the effects of stress and the resilience is human to human connection, created through the comments under the video.

            Domics’ video is my favorite corner of the internet because it stimulates laughter and helps create connections, in return allowing me to thrive in college.