YouTube Geek: Buck the Trends

If you’ve spent much time on YouTube, you may have noticed that the company maintains a blog devoted to viewer trends on the video site. That’s a handy link to follow if you’re interested in watching natural disasters and revolutions unfold around the world, but if you spend as much time on YouTube as I do, you might also have noticed that quite a lot of vloggers use the trends as something upon which to piggyback their own content. Whenever there’s a big earthquake, scores of people make earthquake videos. Right now, YouTube is flooded with performers singing covers of Amy Winehouse songs and fans posting video memorials.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with being trendy, but sometimes bucking the trends produces more interesting results and it definitely provides us more diverse video content to watch.

As usual, my YouTube watch list this week includes videos covering a range of subjects and popularity. At the top of my list is a video from the vlogbrothers addressing a surprising controversy already dear to Geek Mom hearts: Lawns versus Gardens.

Next up is Freddie Wong‘s “Big Blue Ball Machine,” which is really nothing more than a visual treat, but it is very much that.

Speaking of the odd mix of machines and ball games, here’s video of a pool-playing robot. I don’t know about you, but this looks to me like it has classroom potential. Who’s up for a game of practical geometry? Anyone?

In the next video, a young Australian musician shows us how to get the better of a boring power outage using only a ukulele and a smile.

Last but not least, give a listen to this mournful Harry Potter fan song, “Muggle Born.” Even if Harry Potter isn’t your fandom, the sentiment is pretty universal. Fair warning: This song has earworm potential.