Had to write a blog post for class about how a media object influenced me, LTT was the obvious choice

lipowers · April 4, 2021

Here's what I wrote for it:

About 3 years ago I started following a YouTube channel called Linus Tech Tips, or LTT. The channel covers everything tech related from computer hardware, like monitors, PC parts, keyboards, controllers, and mice, to the state of the economy surrounding large technology companies, like Apple, Intel, and AMD. At the time, I had a pretty basic understanding of computers. I knew it was a bunch of parts somehow put together in a box that lets me play video games and watch movies. I had grown up with my parents old iMac, (the transparent one, yikes) and had an Xbox to play games on, but never really had any interest in computers or technology until I got my own desktop PC and started watching videos about computers. LTT in particular focuses on new flagship hardware being released by tech companies and reviewing their performance. This makes for very shiny YouTube videos about very expensive products. I’ve seen dozens of videos about the new, fancy TVs that I won’t be buying anytime soon and PC parts my tuition could barely pay for. But the more I stared at the eye candy, the more I began to trickle down information holes and learn about how all this stuff worked. The more I learned about how all this stuff worked, the more I wanted some of my own. Fast forward to today, I have spent more money than I care to admit on PC components and accessories, along with other bits of technology. When I wanted a new pair of headphones, I found one of their videos that compared the industry leaders and gave evaluations of each. And, because YouTube loves to keep users on the platform, the more LTT I watch, the more I am recommended other tech channels, which show me more fancy expensive parts, which make me want to spend more money on other tech odds and ends. Fortunately, the result has not just been dumping money into electronics. Through the tech know-how I have learned over the years, I got a job in IT, and often find myself leaning on details from videos to solve problems. And in an increasingly digital age, it’s pretty useful to know how all this stuff works (sometimes).