With the prevalence of video sharing platforms in the last decade, people have been turning to vlogs, or video blogs, for entertainment and to feel a connection to their favorite creators. Learn about the history of vlogging and what makes it such a popular form of media in this blog post.
In recent years, the expansion of video sharing platforms like TikTok and YouTube, Vlogging is more popular than ever. Throughout the last decade, video blogs, or vlogs for short, have exploded as a new medium for influencers to blog and interact with their audiences.
What Even is “Vlogging”
Vlogs initially burst into the scene in the early 2000s and became even more popular with the launch of YouTube in 2005. This basically involves a “vlogger,” who can be anyone from your friend to one of your favorite “YouTubers” talking to the camera in first person, describing anything from the events of their day or talking about a variety of topics in a way that is more personal than a blog post. These videos are then posted on a variety of platforms like YouTube, and then clips are usually posted on TikTok and Reels to gain more views. Vloggers sometimes even go live on Twitch, YouTube, and TikTok for increased audience engagement.
How Popular are Vlogs?
According to Media Kix, vlogs are one of the most popular types of videos, with 44% of all internet users watching vlogs every month. Vlogging is incredibly popular because it gives an in-depth look into the lives of real people, especially “YouTubers” that many members of Gen Z grew up watching. Because of their authenticity, it’s a lot easier for engagement and interaction with viewers, which helps foster deeper relationships.
Why are They So Popular?
I find the interaction aspect makes vlogs the most popular. All the time, I find myself choosing to watch day in the life videos of my favorite YouTubers because it felt like I was getting to know them better, even feeling like I was one of their friends. This is especially the case with the video “A Day in the Life of Dan and Phil in Japan.” (Below) When I was 15, I absolutely loved that video because it felt like I was exploring Japan with my favorite YouTubers and it was a fun way to escape. Nowadays, while I’m scrolling through TikTok, I always stop to check out the vlog style storytime videos because I just genuinely enjoy listening to them.
Based on what I know from talking to others about vlogs is a lot of people are watching them while working on other tasks because you don’t have to sit down and think about the content, you can just mindlessly consume them, which is something that I also do all the time, and probably is a reason for the high levels of viewership.
Eyes on Social Media 