I’ve always been a geek, even when computers were a rarity and the ZX Spectrum was the height of sophistication. I even remember bashing out huge documents on the original Apple computer with the green letters flashing on the screen. And losing some of them to random failures (that still makes me grumpy!).
So it really shouldn’t have amazed me that you can now get squillions of brilliant and free tutorials on YouTube that will teach you everything about just about anything. Yet somehow this completely slipped me by until an angst ridden teen showed me what had her staring at her screen for hours in slack jawed amazement. YouTube make-up videos.
Delving even deeper into the phenomenon had my jaw joining hers in slackness. There are authors that have completely tapped into this medium and created live video blogs that keep their teenage fans hooked from week to week while they wait for the next instalments of their favourite book.
There are expert painters showing a plethora of techniques to the budding artist. Just type in charcoal drawing and you’ll get a list a mile long. People who’ve taken the time and trouble to create in-depth tutorials on how to get the most out of your growing talent, how to build on existing skills, and how to draw in the first place.
From crochet to painting to changing a tyre to getting the most out of Twitter. For the travelling businessperson, the freelancer, the traveller and the family, this is an incredible resource. Instead of sitting on the train, bored and frustrated, why not learn something new instead?
Sadly, you will need some kind of link to the internet to be able watch these movies, but this seems like only a small price to pay for the sheer variety on offer. Parents will love the fact that you can watch lessons that tie in with the school curriculum and you can even tie these in with videos that bring these concepts to life. How about a movie on whales after a lesson in animals of the sea, for example?
I can’t help but feel that this thriving world created by industrious humans is made for the netbook fan. Portable tutor for relaxing in a coffee shop with a lush latte and your headphones on. What better way to learn something new.
I delved a little deeper into some of the more obscure and unexpected things you can learn on YouTube and here are a few of my personal favourites.
Fancy yourself as a budding Indiana Jones? There are several fantastic, and enthralling, lectures on archaeology ranging from a dig in Aberdeenshire to a lecture on archaeology and climate change. Esteemed professors offer unique insights previously only available to the student and paying customer. Brilliant.
Still single? Well then try out any one of the how to dance at a club tutorials, and get your skills perfect to attract that special someone. Or perhaps you have a business meeting and still can’t tie your own tie, get your advice here. But if you’re looking for something that will impress your co-workers and friends, then spend some time learning how to make a paper gun that shoots.
I managed to find videos that teach me how to paint with acrylics, and I definitely didn’t have any luck learning how to race ferrets. Which is just as well, I only looked on a dare.
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