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115 YouTube Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

YouTube has become one of the most popular platforms for sharing knowledge and ideas through video essays. These essays cover a wide range of topics and can be a great way to engage with an audience. If you're looking for some inspiration for your next YouTube essay, here are 115 topic ideas and examples to get you started:

The impact of social media on mental health

The evolution of feminism in popular culture

The history of hip hop music

The psychology of conspiracy theories

The science behind climate change

The rise of fast fashion and its environmental impact

The history of the LGBTQ+ rights movement

The effects of technology on our attention spans

The importance of representation in media

The history of voting rights in the United States

The impact of colonialism on indigenous communities

The science of happiness

The history of the civil rights movement

The rise of true crime documentaries

The impact of fake news on society

The history of the internet

The effects of social media on relationships

The rise of plant-based diets

The psychology of online dating

The history of video games

The impact of music on mental health

The science of addiction

The history of the Black Lives Matter movement

The effects of climate change on wildlife

The rise of influencer culture

The history of the feminist movement

The impact of gentrification on communities

The science of dreams

The history of the disability rights movement

The effects of income inequality on society

The psychology of procrastination

The history of the LGBTQ+ rights movement in different countries

The impact of social media on body image

The rise of mindfulness and meditation

The history of the women's rights movement

The effects of consumerism on the environment

The science of love

The history of the labor rights movement

The impact of technology on our social lives

The rise of minimalist living

The history of the environmental movement

The effects of screen time on children

The psychology of cults

The history of the disability rights movement in different countries

The impact of social media on politics

The rise of ethical fashion

The effects of climate change on agriculture

The science of mindfulness

The history of the animal rights movement

The impact of social media on activism

The rise of sustainable living

The history of the LGBTQ+ rights movement in different time periods

The effects of climate change on indigenous communities

The psychology of decision-making

The history of the women's rights movement in different countries

The impact of social media on self-esteem

The rise of zero-waste living

The effects of climate change on coastal communities

The science of sleep

The history of the disability rights movement in different time periods

The impact of social media on mental health in different age groups

The rise of sustainable fashion

The effects of climate change on water resources

The psychology of body language

The history of the women's rights movement in different time periods

The impact of social media on political polarization

The rise of slow living

The effects of climate change on food security

The science of memory

The impact of social media on relationships in different cultures

The rise of sustainable travel

The effects of climate change on biodiversity

The psychology of body image

The impact of social media on body positivity

The rise of ethical consumerism

The effects of climate change on public health

The science of creativity

The impact of social media on activism in different countries

The rise of sustainable beauty

The effects of climate change on mental health

The psychology of memory

The impact of social media on youth culture

The rise of sustainable living in urban areas

The effects of climate change on air quality

The science of decision-making

The impact of social media on activism in different time periods

The rise of sustainable fashion in different countries

The effects of climate change on transportation

The psychology of motivation

The impact of social media on mental health in different cultures

The rise of sustainable living in rural areas

The effects of climate change on energy sources

The science of decision-making under stress

The impact of social media on activism in different cultures

The rise of sustainable beauty in different countries

The effects of climate change on natural disasters

The psychology of resilience

These are just a few examples of the many topics you can explore in a YouTube essay. Whether you're interested in social issues, science, history, or psychology, there's a wealth of material to draw from. So grab your camera, do some research, and start sharing your knowledge with the world through the power of video essays.

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10 of the Most Niche YouTube Video Essays You Absolutely Need to Watch

10 of the Most Niche YouTube Video Essays You Absolutely Need to Watch

YouTube’s algorithm is designed to keep your eyeballs glued to video after video (after video, after video...). The dangers of this rabbit hole are well-documented . However, for every ideological radicalization enabled by YouTube, I like to think there’s at least one innocent, newfound pop culture obsession discovered at 3 a.m. via the greatest medium of our time: the Video Essay.

The genre of YouTube video essays is more interesting than it sounds. Sure, any piece of video content that advances a central thesis could be considered a “video essay.” But there are key components of video essays that elevate the genre into so much more than simply a YouTube version of a written article. Over the past few years, the term “YouTube video essay” has grown to evoke connotations of niche fascination and discovery. For creators, the field is highly competitive with strong personalities trying to get eyes on extremely in-depth analysis of a wide range of topics. The “niche” factor is especially important here. Ultimately, the hallmark of a good video essay is its ability to captivate you into watching hours of content about a subject matter you would have never expected to care about in the first place. Scary? Maybe. Fun? Definitely.

Whether you’re skeptical about the power of video essays, or you’re an existing fan looking for your next niche obsession, I’ve rounded up some of my personal favorite YouTube video essays for you to lean in and watch. This is not a comprehensive list by any means, and it largely reflects what the algorithm thinks (knows) I personally want to watch.

Other factors that influenced my selection process: The video essays needed to have a strong, surprising thesis—something other than a creator saying “ this thing good ” or “ this thing bad. ” These videos also stood out to me due to their sheer amount of thorough, hard-hitting evidence, as well as the dedication on the behalf of the YouTubers who chose to share with us hours upon hours of research into these topics.

And yes, I have watched all the hours of content featured here. I’m a professional.

Disney’s FastPass: A Complicated History

Let’s start strong with a documentary so premium, I can’t believe it’s free. Multiple articles and reviews have been dedicated to Defunctland’s video series about, well, waiting in line. I know what you’re thinking—the only thing that sounds more boring than waiting in line is watching a video about waiting in line. But Defunctland’s investigation into the history of Disneyland’s FastPass system has so much more to offer.

Class warfare. Human behavior. The perils of capitalism. One commenter under the video captures it well by writing “oddly informative and vaguely terrifying.” Since its launch in 2017, Kevin Perjurer’s entire Defunctland YouTube channel has become a leading voice in extremely thorough video essays. The FastPass analysis is one of the most rewarding of all of Defunctland’s in-depth amusement park coverage.

I won’t spoil it here, but the best part of the video is hands-down when Perjurer reveals an animated simulation of the theme park experience to test out how various line-reservation systems work. Again, no spoilers, but get ready for a wildly satisfying “gotcha” moment.

Personally, I’ve never had any interest one way or another about Disney-affiliated theme parks. I’ve never been, and I never planned on going. That’s the main reason I’m selling you on this video essay right off the bat. Defunctland is a perfect example of how the genre of video essays has such a high bar for investigative reporting, shocking analysis, and an ability to suck you in to a topic you never thought you’d care about.

Watch time : 1:42:59 (like a proper feature documentary)

THE Vampire Diaries Video

No list of video essays can get very far without including Jenny Nicholson , a true titan of the genre. Or, as one commenter puts it, “The power of Jenny Nicholson: getting me to watch an almost three hour long video about something I don’t care about.” I struggled to pick which of her videos to feature here, but at over seven million views, “THE Vampire Diaries Video” might just be Nicholson’s magnum opus. Once you break out the red string on a cork board, it’s safe to say that you’re in magnum opus territory.

I haven’t ever seen an episode of CW’s The Vampire Diaries , but since this video essay captivated me, I can safely say that I’m an expert on the show. Nicholson’s reputation as a knowledgeable, passionate, funny YouTuber is well-earned. She’s a proper geek, and watching her cultural analyses feel like I’m nerding out with one of my smartest friends. If you really don’t think The Vampire Diaries investigation is for you (and I argue that it’s for everyone), I recommend “ A needlessly thorough roast of Dear Evan Hansen ” instead.

Watch time : 2:33:19

In Search Of A Flat Earth

Did you think you could get through a YouTube video round-up without single mention of Flat Earthers? Wishful thinking.

“In Search of Flat Earth” is a beautiful, thoughtful video essay slash feature-length documentary. Don’t go into this video if you’re looking to bash and ridicule flat earth conspiracy theorists. Instead, Olson’s core argument takes a somewhat sympathetic gaze to the fact that Flat Earthers cannot be “reasoned” out of their beliefs with “science” or “evidence.” Plus, this video has a satisfying second-act plot twist. As Olson points out, “In Search of Flat Earth” could have an alternative clickbait title of “The Twist at 37 Minutes Will Make You Believe We Live In Hell.” Over the years,  Dan Olson of Folding Ideas has helped to popularize the entire video essay genre, and this one just might be his masterpiece.

Watch time : 1:16:16

The Rise and Fall of Teen Dystopias

Sarah Z is your go-to Gen Z cultural critic and explainer. The YouTuber brings her knack for loving-yet-shrewd analysis to dig into fandom culture, the YA book industry, and why the teen dystopia got beaten into the ground.

I’ve found that one of the most reliable video essay formulas is some version of “what went wrong with [incredibly popular cultural moment].” In the case of teen dystopias, it’s a fascinating take on how a generation of teen girls were drawn to bad ass, anti-establishment heroines, only to watch those types of characters get mass produced and diluted into mockery. But maybe I’m biased here; as the exact demographic targeted by the peak of The Hunger Games, Twilight, and Divergent, this cultural debrief speaks to my soul.

Watch time : 1:22:41

A Buffet of Black Food History

Food is an effective way to combine economic, cultural, and social histories–and Black American food history is an especially rich one. Food resonates with people, allowing us to connect with the past in a much more real way than if we were memorizing dates and locations from a textbook. Historian Elexius Jionde of Intelexual Media is a pro at taking what could be a standard history lesson and turning it into an interesting journey full of crazy characters and tidbits.

Most of the comments beneath the video are complaints that the video deserves to be so much longer. It’s jam-packed with surprising facts, fun asides, and, of course, tantalizing descriptions of the food at hand. Jionde even warns you right at the top: “Turn this video off right now if you’re hungry.”

Watch time : 22:39

The reign of the Slim-Thick Influencer

At this point, I’m assuming you know what a BBL is. Even if you aren’t familiar with the term (Brazilian butt lifts, FYI), then you’ve still probably observed the trend. Before big butts, it was thigh gaps. The pendulum swing of trending body types is nothing new. Curves are in, curves are out, thick thighs save lives, “skinny fat” is bad, and now, “slim thick” looms large. How do different body types fall in and out of fashion, and what effect does this have on the people living in those bodies?

Creator Khadija Mbowe identifies and analyzes a lot of the issues with how women’s bodies (especially Black women’s) are commodified, without ever blaming the bodies that are under fire. Mbowe handles the topic with grace and humor, even when discussing how deeply personal it is to them. If you’ve ever found yourself staring at a photo of an Instagram influencer, please do yourself a favor and watch this video essay.

Watch time : 54:18

Flight of the Navigator

Once again: I have been sucked into a video about a film that I have never seen and probably never will. Captain Disillusion, whose real name is Alan Melikdjanian, is another giant of the video essay genre, posting videos to a not-too-shabby audience of 2.29 million subscribers. Most of Captain Dissilision’s videos that I’d seen before this were of the creator debunking viral videos, exposing how certain visual effects were “obviously” faked. In this video, he turns his eye for debunking special effects not to viral videos, but to the 1986 Disney sci-fi adventure Flight of the Navigator.

This behind-the-scenes analysis of the Disney film is incredibly informative, tackling every instance when someone might ask, “ Hey, how did they manage to film that? ” It also touches upon the history of the special effects industry, something that deserves a little extra appreciation as CGI takes over every corner of movie-making.

Watch time : 41:28

The Failure of Victorious

YouTuber Quinton Reviews is dedicated to his craft, and I thank him for it. As you’ve certainly caught on to by now, you truly do not need to know anything about the show Victorious to enjoy an hours-long video essay that digs into it. What makes this video stand out is the sheer amount of content that this YouTuber both consumed and then created for us. Part of the video length—a whopping five hours—is due to the fact that every single episode of the Nickelodeon show is dissected. Another reason for the length is all the care that Quinton Reviews puts into providing context. And the context is what made me stick around: the failures of TV networks, the psychological dangers of working as child stars, and the questionable adult jokes that were broadcast to young audiences…if you’re at all interested in tainting your memory of hit Nickelodeon shows, this video is for you.

Watch time : 5:34:58 ( And that’s just part one. Strap in! )

Why Anime is for Black People

In this video Travis goes through the history of the “hip hop x anime” phenomenon, in which East Asian media permeates Black culture (and vice versa, as he hints at near the end). Although I am (1) not Black and (2) not an avid anime fan, I first clicked on this video because I’m a fan of comedian and writer Yedoye Travis. And yet—big shocker—I was immediately engrossed with the subject matter, despite having no context heading into it. Once you finish watching this video, be sure to check out Megan Thee Stallion’s interview about her connection to anime .

I haven’t run this part by my editor yet, but now would be a prime time to plug Lifehacker Editor-in-Chief Jordan Calhoun’s book, Piccolo Is Black: A Memoir of Race, Religion, and Pop Culture . Just saying.

Watch time : 18:34 (basically nothing in the world of video essays, especially compared to the five hours of Victorious content I binged earlier)

Efficiency in Comedy: The Office vs. Friends

I’m rounding out this list on a note of personal sentimentality. This is one of the first video essays that got me hooked on the format, mostly because I had followed creator Drew Gooden to YouTube after his stardom on Vine (RIP). This video is one of his most popular, combining comedy and math to pit two of the most popular sitcoms of all time in a joke-for-joke battle.

Gooden in particular stands out as someone who excels as both an earnest comic and a thoughtful critic of comedy. I appreciate his perspective as someone who knows what it’s like to work for a laugh and wants to get to the bottom of why something is or isn’t funny. This isn’t even one of Gooden’s best videos (I actually think his take on the parallels between Community and Arrested Development has a much stronger argument), but it’s a great example of the sort of perspective best situated to make video essays in the first place. Because what makes all these video essays so compelling is often the personality behind the argument. These aren’t investigative journalists or professional critics. They’re YouTubers. Really smart YouTubers, but still: These videos are born out of everyday people who simply have something to say.

I believe the modern YouTube video essay is uniquely situated to put cultural critique back into the hands of the average consumer—but only if that consumer is willing to put in the work to become a creator themselves.

Watch time : 17:36

96 YouTube Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best youtube video essay ideas, 🥇 good video essay topics on youtube, 📺 interesting youtube video essay topics, 🎥 youtube video essay topic ideas.

  • How to Create a YouTube Channel? Purpose: The purpose of the report is to inform and educate the audience on the specifics and details of how to create a YouTube channel.
  • Leadership at YouTube: Susan Wojcicki Educated at Harvard and the University of California, Wojcicki was involved in the founding of Google and was the person behind Google’s acquisition of YouTube in 2006.
  • YouTube as an Educational Tool The source provides every visitor with the information necessary to be well acquainted with the opportunities that the site presents and teaches how to use the site YouTube with the highest degree of efficiency.
  • Influence of YouTube and Facebook on Business Two of the most influential and promising technologies in this age are the YouTube and Facebook, a social website. The impact of social media on business is remarkable and companies use YouTube to market their […]
  • YouTube: History, Advantages and Disadvantages It is no secret that YouTube is one of the most visited websites in the whole world. I examine the advantages of this invention as well as the disadvantages The 1920s: the first-ever display technology […]
  • YouTube Case: Copyright Infringement of Music and Films The aim of the current research is to assess YouTube’s copyright infringement of music and films. The DMCA is a copyright law in the United States, and it protects the company from copyright infringement among […]
  • YouTube, the Internet and the Future of Movies The paper will analyze the dynamics in one of these industries i.e.the movie industry and what it needs to do in order to cope with these challenges from the digital world.
  • YouTube Instructions: How to Upload a Video Blogging: Posting of information on the Internet, in particular on the blogosphere, which supports posts on a wide range of topics.
  • Social Networking Site: Facebook, YouTube and Twitter Today, social networking sites, such as Facebook, Orkut, YouTube, Tagged, Twitter, and MySpace, are some of the most important forms of communication, connecting billions of people from all corners of the world at the click […]
  • Social Media Metrics: Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter For an individual to share a video through YouTube there will be need for the individual to sign up for an account with YouTube.
  • The YouTube Platform’s Development and Influence YouTube has developed into a major social media platform that has significantly influenced the growth of the social media role and shaped various population groups. The fundamentals of living a holy life and the image […]
  • The YouTube Video “How to Choose Your News” by Damon Brown Nowadays, social media, blogs, and YouTube channels have increased the freedom for people to report information, which affects the credibility and reliability of the news.
  • Evaluation of YouTube Trends: Impact of Work-Life Balance It is possible to damage their reputation at work if they let their personal life have too much of an effect on how they behave on the job.
  • The “Johnny Harris” YouTube Channel and Perception The research inquiry is the following: “What has been the nature and extent of the channel followers’ ability to decode and use provided content?” The interpretive research paradigm is the appropriate approach in this context […]
  • How to Start a YouTube Channel Totally appreciate it.” The structure of a video consists of the introduction of the speaker, a description of each step taken to create a channel and the recommendations of linked videos.
  • Creating a YouTube Channel Within the MNC Context Specifically, the application of interpretivism and the inductive approach is recommended in order to dissect the issue of social media and its role in building a PR strategy for MNCs in the global context.
  • Fair Use and Copyright on YouTube With the number of content creators, companies, and independent artists on the platform, as well as the inclusion of the ability to monetize problems of Fair use and Copyright have begun to emerge on the […]
  • YouTube’s Performance Plan Market share of YouTube Corporation is close to 60% of all the internet video services. Originally, it is a big marketing operation service.
  • Changing the Culture via YouTube: Creating and Consuming Streaming Videos The woman says that the creators of video on the platform once will face problems of authenticity. This phenomenon is related to the evolution of channels as the video hosting algorithms change.
  • YouTube Videos and Length’s Influence on Their Quality The represented video of Simon’s Cat is an episode from the series of pictured comic sketches about a cat and its owner.
  • Competitor Companies: YouTube vs. Google Video The restriction of user-generated content to the use of a downloadable plug-in from VideoLAN had an irreversible effect on the growth of the site since it troubled many users in its operation and hence necessitated […]
  • YouTube’s Marketing Balance Scorecard The graph can be useful, due to the ability for updates and modifications that will represent the current situation in marketing.
  • “Space Station Broadcast” Comedy: YouTube Sensation In the contemporary world that is closely connected with the Internet, the video platform YouTube is the source of information for millions of people.
  • Helvetica Typeface and Its Use on YouTube Helvetica’s popularity in society is explained by the fact that this typeface assists in the reading process owing to the simplicity of the design.
  • Playstation Online Community in Twitter and YouTube Playstation Community is connected with the brand’s channels on social media such as Twitter and Youtube, so there is a possibility to engage with the content created both by users and the brand.
  • YouTube as a Product Promotion Platform The rapid development of Internet technologies and the emergence of social media structures affect the marketing methods and strategies greatly. The posts and customer reviews create the risk factors for the marketing strategies efficiency, and […]
  • YouTube and Google Video The failure of Google video is attributable to its initial lack of a way to view actual videos and finally Google’s acquisition of YouTube.
  • Rapid Progress of YouTube The level of the competition among these sites depends on the question of the popularity of Google resources and YouTube among the users.
  • YouTube’s Misunderstood Purpose Viacom should understand that commercial media on YouTube is like transformational of cultural commodities to cultural resources and YouTube just offers a platform for the audience to produce second order commodities that they can and […]
  • Information System Profession: iPhone and YouTube These indicate the advancements in the information system as a profession The issues in the articles reviewed are related to the course in a number of ways.
  • Analyse How YouTube Appropriates and Exploits Other Media
  • Comparison Between the YouTube Channels of Two American Multinational Corporations: PepsiCo and the Coca-Cola Company
  • Analysis of YouTube Videos and Its Influence on Society
  • Analysis of YouTube Videos on Supervision, Control and Leadership Styles
  • Analysis of YouTube Video Wealth Inequality
  • Analyzing YouTube Videos on Environmental Issues
  • Analysis of the Evolution of YouTube as a Networking Video Platform
  • Can Not Live Without YouTube?
  • Can YouTube Be the Best Media in Entertainment?
  • Does YouTube Make Google a Big Target for Copyright Suits?
  • How Companies Market Themselves Using YouTube?
  • How to Promote your Videos on YouTube?
  • How YouTube Has Changed the Way People Communicate and Collaborate?
  • How YouTube Operates as a Social Networking?
  • SWOT Analysis (on Maker Studios of YouTube)
  • Pros and Cons of YouTube for College Students
  • What Are the Possible Revenue Models for YouTube?
  • What Is Better: YouTube or Vimeo?
  • 3 Steps To Getting More Traffic From YouTube
  • Brief Look at YouTube
  • Advertising on YouTube
  • A Great Advancement in the Realm of Education Due to YouTube
  • Benefits of Development and Usage of YouTube
  • Deadly Videos and YouTube are Bad for Children and Teens
  • Effects of YouTube on the Media
  • Challenges Facing Companies by Using YouTube
  • Google’s Acquisition of YouTube: Ethical Considerations of Content
  • History of YouTube.com
  • The Phenomenon of Flaming on YouTube in Malaysia
  • Different Benefits of Using YouTube at School
  • Effects of Netflix and YouTube on My Life
  • Effects of YouTube on Teens and Young Adults
  • Growth of Advertising on YouTube
  • Impact of YouTube on Popular Culture
  • Rise of Electronic Dance Music and Musicians Gaining Success Via YouTube
  • YouTube Phenomenon and Challenges, Marketing Mix of Innocent Company
  • What Is the History of YouTube?
  • What Was YouTube’s First Video?
  • What Are the Best Ways to Promote a YouTube Channel?
  • What Are Some of the Best YouTube Channels?
  • What Is the Most Popular YouTube Channel in the World?
  • What Are Good YouTube Channels to Learn English Language?
  • What Does the Term Personal Branding on YouTube Mean?
  • Which Are the Most Watched YouTube Videos?
  • How Do Deep Neural Networks for YouTube Recommendations Work?
  • What’s the Most Effective Way to Grow a YouTube Channel?
  • Why You Should Join the YouTube Community?
  • Why You Should Rate YouTube Videos You Watch?
  • What Are Some Amazing Facts About YouTube?
  • How Can You Find Solid Healthcare Information on YouTube?
  • What Is the Best Way to Improve Search Rankings on YouTube?
  • What Online Video Sites Are Any Good Besides YouTube?
  • What Are Some Good Ideas for a YouTube Channel?
  • Do You Think YouTube Will Die at Some Point, and if So When?
  • How Do People Get Millions of Views on YouTube?
  • What Is the Oldest Channel on YouTube?
  • How Much Is a Million YouTube Views Worth for the Content Creator?
  • What Is the Most Disliked Video in YouTube?
  • Which YouTube Niche Is the Most Profitable?
  • Yahoo Research Topics
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  • Cyber Bullying Essay Ideas
  • Fake News Research Ideas
  • Social Media Topics
  • Telecommunications Questions
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Favoree

Favoree's guide to YouTube

13 Best Video Essay YouTubers in 2024 According to Viewers

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Tamara Indriana

youtube essay topics

First of all, what even is a video essay ?

The line between video essays and documentaries is often muddy. While both video essays and documentaries use audiovisual elements to convey ideas and narratives, they differ in their focus, narrative structure, visual style, and intended audience.

Video essays offer critical analysis and interpretation of visual media, while documentaries provide factual information on real-life events and experiences. One key tip to distinguish between the two is that documentaries focus on getting answers from primary sources , like conducting interviews.

Video essays have gained popularity in recent years, particularly on YouTube. The accessibility of digital editing tools and visual media makes it easier than ever for aspiring filmmakers, critics, and scholars to produce and share their own video essays with the world.

In this article, we have compiled a list of the best video essayists on YouTube. Join us as we unravel the intricacies of these digital storytellers who put their viewers on the edge of their seats.

If video essays are not your cup of tea and you’re looking for something more educational, check out our article on the best documentary YouTube channels .

13 Top Video Essay YouTube Channels in 2024

This list is compiled from the opinions of  Favoree  and  Reddit  users.

In no particular order:

1.  EmpLemon  â€“ 1.2M Subscribers

Emplemon blends elements of documentary-style storytelling with humor and cultural critique. Through his videos, Emplemon tells stories about internet culture, dissecting its quirks with razor-sharp wit and insight.

His contents elicit a rollercoaster of emotions, from laughter at absurd internet phenomena to contemplation of the impact of online communities on society.

2.  ContraPoints  â€“ 1.8M Subscribers

Natalie Wynn, better known as Contrapoints, makes incisive video essays about social topics. Initially gaining fame for providing leftist rebuttals to right-wing content, Wynn’s dark humor and elaborate productions captivate audiences.

While her style has evolved to include more intimate settings, Wynn’s content remains intellectually stimulating, featuring detailed philosophical discussions presented in a visually stunning manner.

Natalie is not only an icon for her video essays, she’s also one of the most influential Trans creators on YouTube .

3.  ColdFusion  â€“ 4.7M Subscribers

ColdFusion is a prominent YouTube channel making high-quality videos on corporations and their scandals. The channel’s soothing narration style contributes to a relaxing viewing experience.

With professional editing and a focus on interesting subject matter, ColdFusion delivers compelling insights into the latest trends and developments shaping the world of business and technology.

Check out our article on the best economics YouTube channel if you’re interested in improving your financial knowledge!

4.  Wendigoon  â€“ 3.4M Subscribers

Wendigoon’s exploration of horror and supernatural phenomena certainly gives viewers goosebumps. With a focus on topics like urban legends , paranormal encounters, and mysterious occurrences, Wendigoon delivers chilling narratives that leave viewers intrigued and unsettled.

The channel’s immersive storytelling and atmospheric visuals evoke a sense of unease, drawing audiences into the eerie world of the unknown. Wendigoon’s expertly crafted videos combine suspenseful narration with haunting imagery, creating an unforgettable viewing experience.

Can’t get enough of chilling true crime stories? Our article on the best true crime YouTube channels will help you find more creators to watch.

5.  hbomberguy  â€“ 1.6M Subscribers

Hbomberguy is a highly respected YouTuber famous for his well-researched video essays. With a focus on various topics ranging from video games to social critiques of modernity, Hbomberguy delivers arguments backed by cited facts. His recent video that exposed Internet Historian has gotten the most attention and discourse.

Despite a sporadic upload schedule, his content is eagerly anticipated, offering deep dives into internet culture and thought-provoking analyses.

6.  Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell  â€“ 21.8M Subscribers

Kurzgesagt is incredible at explaining complex scientific concepts and philosophical ideas in a simple way. Through stunning art and animation, Kurzgesagt brings these topics to life.

Covering a wide range of subjects from space exploration to biology, the channel’s videos are both educational and visually captivating, leaving viewers feeling inspired and enlightened. Kurzgesagt offers an immersive journey into the wonders of the universe, sparking curiosity and wonder in audiences worldwide.

7.  Fredrik Knudsen  â€“ 1.2M Subscribers

A cult favorite, Fredrik Knudsen’s acclaimed series “Down the Rabbit Hole” investigates obscure corners of the internet and perplexing aspects of history.

Known for his unbiased and objective approach, Knudsen presents his subjects in a neutral manner, allowing facts to speak for themselves. His thought-provoking content offers insights into the complexities of human experiences and internet phenomena.

8.  blameitonjorge  â€“ 1.7M Subscribers

Blameitonjorge is beloved for his videos centered around lost media, creepy events, and obscure topics. With a soothing and friendly voice, Jorge’s narration style is modest, respectful, and intelligently humorous, offering a refreshing contrast to typical list-making channels.

His videos cover a diverse range of subjects, including UFO sightings, nostalgia, horror movies, true crime, and Mexican urban legends, all presented with meticulous research and informative editing. Blameitonjorge’s efforts to uncover unanswered mysteries and controversies breathe new life into forgotten topics.

9.  Solar Sands  â€“ 1.3M Subscribers

Solar Sands, an American YouTuber, specializes in video essays analyzing and reviewing art, culture, and archaeology. His long form contents concentrate on retrospectives on various aspects of artistic quality, including the history of low-resolution paintings in Minecraft and analyses of artists like Trevor Henderson .

Solar Sands’ content offers unusual insights into the world of art and culture, appealing to viewers interested in thought-provoking discussions and analyses.

10.  Philosophy Tube  â€“ 1.5M Subscribers

Abigail Thorn, AKA Philosophy Tube, is a British YouTuber exploring philosophy, politics, and personal identity through theatrical presentations and insightful discussions. Abigail’s well-researched content creates a deeper understanding of complex topics and provides support for those grappling with personal identity.

Her inclusive and authentic approach transforms philosophical concepts into accessible narratives, while her openness about her transgender journey inspires self-acceptance in viewers. With a blend of academic rigor and theatrical flair, Philosophy Tube continues to educate and entertain her audiences.

Want a deeper understanding of philosophy without breaking the bank? Check out the best philosophy YouTube channels to learn more!

11. Super Eyepatch Wolf – 1.7M Subscribers

John Walsh, also known as Super Eyepatch Wolf , is an Irish YouTuber renowned for his analytical-style videos primarily focused on anime, with occasional forays into manga and video games.

Unlike many other anime YouTubers, his presentation style stands out for its calm and passionate delivery. His content resonates with audiences seeking thoughtful analysis and insightful commentary.

12. Folding Ideas – 920K Subscribers

Dan Olson or Folding Ideas is a YouTube channel offering long-form video essays on internet culture. From NFTs to nuggets, he makes any topic interesting and will leave you looking for more.

While the writing can occasionally seem overly clever, Dan Olson’s thoroughly researched insights provide valuable perspectives into tech grifts and other media. Despite only uploading every few months, the channel’s in-depth and insightful content is highly appreciated by viewers.

13. Jacob Geller – 1.2M Subscribers

Jacob Geller offers thought-provoking video essays that seamlessly blend topics such as video games, history, politics, and more. With a dark yet empathetic tone, Geller digs deep into philosophical, ethical, metaphysical, and psychological themes, using gaming as a springboard for discussions.

Whether discussing a specific video game mod or architectural design, Jacob’s talent shines through in his insightful videos, offering a deep exploration of video games with surprising depth.

Why are video essays important?

Video essays are important as they provide a platform for creators to offer nuanced interpretations and critical perspectives on various subjects. They serve as engaging educational tools, stimulating discussions and deepening understanding of visual media and cultural phenomena.

What are the benefits of video essays?

Video essays offer benefits such as fostering critical thinking, providing accessible and entertaining educational content, and offering a fresh approach to the analysis and exploration of visual media.

What’s the difference between a video essay and a documentary?

The difference lies in their focus, narrative structure, visual style, and intended audience. While video essays offer critical analysis and interpretation of visual media, documentaries provide factual information on real-life events and experiences, often by obtaining answers from primary sources through interviews.

Is video essay a genre?

Video essay is not a genre in the traditional sense. Rather, it is a format or style of content creation that can encompass a wide range of subjects and approaches, from film analysis to cultural critique.

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17 Niche YouTube Video Essays To Make You An Expert On Random Topics

The internet is a fantastic place to discover new information — especially when it comes to watching YouTube videos . YouTube consumes so many people’s lives in this digital age we live in, sometimes bringing viewers down a rabbit hole of random, miscellaneous information. For me personally, it can be literally hours of clicking from one video to the next before I come up for air and ask myself: How in the heck did I end up here? 

But while some of the information you find on YouTube may be random, that doesn’t necessarily mean learning it is a waste of time. You can actually pick up a lot of specific, useful details about pretty much any topic you can think of. Who knows? You might even become a subject-matter expert yourself… or at least have a lot of fun by entertaining your friends with some niche stories and facts. All in all, YouTube-diving is a great way to find out information on a specific topic and potentially gain a new perspective from someone who has done their research. 

If that sounds appealing to you, check out these 16 YouTube video essays that will surely captivate you — and maybe leave you wanting to know even more.

On the downfall of tween culture

Video essayist Jordan Theresa explores tons of pop culture topics on her channel, but her January 2024 video “Where Have All The Tweens Gone?” is especially compelling. The 42-minute video covers the phenomenon of Gen Alpha quickly going from being children to being teenagers, essentially skipping the tween stage — and walks through the reasons this might be happening.

On Teenage Spaces No Longer Existing 

Madisyn Brown is a video essayist and singer who has posted a range of video essays on her channel discussing issues relating to femininity, artists in the music industry, and other pop culture-related topics. In this 25-minute video essay, she discusses how the spaces for teenagers to find community and identity is becoming obsolete, touching on the idea of today’s kids feeling the need to grow up faster and how the stage of being a teenager (the transition from child to adult) is becoming more narrow and blurred in society. 

On The “Girl-ification” of TikTok Trends

Here we have a second video essay by Madisyn Brown . In this video essay, Madisyn discusses the popular girl-ification of phrasing that’s been circulating the internet, such as “girl dinner” and “girl math.” She talks about the girlification of trends, analyzes it and its roots, and the impact (debatably positive or negative) it has on us. 

On How Beauty Maintenance Is A Scam

In recent years, beauty maintenance has expanded into a multi-step process with an increased implementation of numerous products into our routines — partly in thanks to the rise of self-care products on social media. This third video by Madisyn Brown discusses beauty maintenance, explains how it all came about, and argues that it’s a scam. 

On the Entire History of Big Brother  

Fans of the show Big Brother , or those who are interested in learning more about the show, this video is for you. Ethanimale creates videos relating to the show, including seasonal reviews, personal thoughts throughout the season as a fan, analysis of seasonal twists, individual player strategies and competition breakdowns, and more. In this 40-minute video, Ethanimale discusses the entire history of the show so viewers can get a glimpse into how the series has transformed over time. The video starts with how the concept of the show was developed, and it then leads into a breakdown of each individual season (so in other words — as a heads up — each season will be spoiled). 

On The Plastic Feminism of Barbie 

So many Barbie-related trends and discussions have arisen in the past year due to the release of the Barbie movie in the summer of 2023. Video essayist verilybitchie talks about the Barbie movie (without giving too many spoilers) but doesn’t just focus on solely reviewing the film, but rather explores how the feminism in the film ties into the controversial image of Barbie that Mattel has created over the years. 

On the Transformation of Reality TV 

In this video essay, Casey Aonso argues that reality TV has taken a turn for the worse — despite the power of the internet, bigger budgets, and more unique show concepts. Casey discusses why reality TV isn’t the same compared to the shows we grew up on and the factors that are causing this.

On The Glamorous Lies Reality TV Sells 

If you love reality TV, you won’t mind that there are two reality TV-themed essays on this list. Here, Salari talks about what goes on behind the scenes when it comes to some of the most well-known reality competition shows. There is more than what meets the eye and the video essayist discusses why the format does not lead to a lot more success among the contestants. 

On The Psychology of Advertising 

Any advertising and psychology majors out there? This video essay by Existential Guide explains why some advertisements tend to make more of an impression with consumers, along with what tactics cause certain advertisements to leave a long-lasting impression.

On Color Psychology

Similarly, this video essay by Visme explains what certain colors mean in terms of evoking certain messages or emotions, and how those translate into marketing when it comes to appealing to consumers and sending the right message to people. 

On Why Movie Titles Matter 

Sometimes the most interesting perspectives are the most concise. In this five-minute video essay, Karsten Runquist talks about why movie titles are one of the most important aspects of the filmmaking process. Karsten has other videos on their channel analyzing specific films and movies in monthly review videos. 

On A Kids Movie That’s Actually About Existentialism 

Want to feel nostalgic? For Gen Zers who grew up watching the animated movies that were released during the late 2000s to early 2010s during their childhood, this video essay by The Fiction Addiction examines a SONY movie called Surf’s Up (2007) and how the philosophical nature of existentialism is present and prominent in the movie.

On How The Food You Eat Affects Your Brain

We know certain types of foods are good for our bodies, but what about our brains? It turns out, certain foods and the components that make each food affect our brain in different ways. This TED-Ed video by Mia Nacumelli explains the science of food and its effect on our brains.

On How Modern Media Affects Attentions Spans

In this video essay, oliSUNvia — whose channel’s “about” page is described as “philosophy, social science research, media and gen z trends” — talks about how the incorporation of images and videos into our communication methods have affected our attention spans, and how that in turn affects society as a whole.

On Finding Purpose

Another video essay done by creator oliSUNvia touches on the purpose of life — more specifically, the difference between a meaningless and insignificant existence and finding ways to cope with insignificance and finding our own purpose in the life that we have.

On The Gen Z Vs Millennial Jean Style Debate

There’s been constant back and forth between millennials and Gen Z about who’s right on many topics, including which style of jeans is best. Here, video essayist Mina Le settles the debate once and for all!

On Aesthetics & Curated Identities

In this video essay, Shanspeare discusses social media’s obsession with the word “aesthetic” and the concept of curating a specific identity that needs to fit into established micro-trends. Shanspeare has other video essays that range in a variety of topics such as entertainment and pop culture, gender, and race. 

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10 Video Essays That Will Get You Addicted To Video Essays

From deep dives into pretty privilege, to incel culture, to why we love Meryl Streep- here are some of the best gateway video essays.

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Combining the format of the informative (and at times hilarious) essay with video media, video essays have exploded in popularity in the last few years. With 100s of video essayists on 100s of channels across Vimeo and youtube, getting into video essays can be overwhelming.

As a self-confessed video essay addict, I’ve picked ten great video essays to kick you down the rabbit hole. These are perfect for chucking on instead of aimlessly scrolling, or filling the time on your commute, while also learning a new point of view.

Woke Brands | hbomberguy

Hbomberguy explores the trend of ‘woke’ branding, asking whether a product can actually be progressive.

Incels | Contrapoints

Trans video essayist, Natalie Wynn takes a hypnotizing deep-dive into the dark twisted internet subculture of incels.

Pretty Privilege | Khadija Mbowe

Opera singer and vlogger, Khadija Mbowe discusses how social media has exaggerated the phenomena of people having privilege because they’re perceived as pretty.

How The Pandemic Distorted Time | Vox

Have you been feeling like time isn’t moving the same way since the pandemic? The folks over at Vox explain why.

What Is *Good* Queer Representation in 2020? | melinapendulum

Black Bisexual vlogger, Melina takes a deep-dive into what queer representation on film and television is in 2020 and how it’s changed over the last few decades.

Protest Music of the Bush Era | Lindsay Ellis

Lindsay Ellis has often been credited for popularising the video essay on youtube so her channel is full of excellent content, but this recent one touring the popular protest music of the noughties is an eye-opener.

Data | Philosophy Tube

Somewhere between a video essay and absurdist skit, Data by Philosophy Tube sees host Abigail Thorn act out the ethical considerations and concerns of data mining technology.

Tiger King: The Problem with True Crime | Broey Dachenel

broey deschanel uses Tiger King as a case study to demonstrate the issues at large in the mainstream true crime genre.

Why Do We Love Meryl Streep? | Be Kind Rewind

One of my all-time favourite essayists for her analysis of Hollywood culture, this video seeks to answer the age old question: why is Meryl Streep that good?

Jennifer’s Body & the Horror of Bad Marketing | Yhara Zayd

In this video, Yhara zayd takes you step by gruelling step through how and why cult classic Jennifer’s Body was so badly marketed.

Merryana Salem is a proud Wonnarua and Lebanese–Australian writer, critic, teacher, researcher and podcaster on most social media as  @akajustmerry . If you want, check out her podcast,  GayV Club  where she gushes about LGBT rep in media with her best friend. Either way, she hopes you ate something nice today.

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The best video essays of 2020

Creators continue to push the envelope of criticism on YouTube

If you buy something from a Polygon link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

by Wil Williams

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice

For the last few years, video essays have gained more and more prominence on YouTube . With more and more creators choosing a video essay — or video essay-inspired — format, there are video essays about almost any topic you want to learn more about.

To discuss what makes a video essay one of the best of the year, let’s first break down what a video essay was in the year 2020 . There’s more gray area between formats than it initially may seem, especially given how many videos that lack an essay structure take on an essay aesthetic. We used the following criteria for this list:

  • The video must be scripted. Momentary improvised asides are fine, especially if they come in the form of voice over added in editing, but the video must otherwise follow a written script.
  • The video must have a thesis, and that thesis must be more than “this is good” or “this is bad.” The thesis should concern the impact of the subject matter, not just its content. This means no straight reviews (like La’Ron Readus’s review of Candyman ), no commentary/discussion videos (like Sherliza Moé’s series on cultural appropriation in the Star Wars prequels and Avatar: The Last Airbender ), no lore recaps (like My Name Is Byf’s meticulous archival works of the Destiny 2 lore), and no straight-up histories (like Sarah Z’s retelling of the infamous DashCon).
  • The video also shouldn’t be a documentary (like NoClip’s documentary about the making of Pyre ). The focus should be a subject from an analytical standpoint, not an interview standpoint.
  • But this doesn’t mean the video should necessarily aim for pure objectivity; personal video essays are, in fact, a thing.

This isn’t to say the excluded videos aren’t great. On the contrary: the ones mentioned above absolutely rule. Defining the parameters of a video essay, though, puts the videos discussed here on an equal playing field. When you watch, you know you’ll come away understanding the subject matter, and likely how art and society impact each other, a little better. Almost all of these videos contain spoilers, so watch at your own risk — but most can be enjoyed regardless of your familiarity with the subject matter, too.

1. “In Search of Flat Earth,” Dan Olson (Folding Ideas)

Dan Olson of Folding Ideas has been a video essayist for years, helping solidify the medium on YouTube. “In Search of Flat Earth,” though, is his masterpiece to date. The video is shot beautifully, with loving and reverent shots of nature that not only contribute to the video’s content and concepts, but also capture a sense of still beauty. If the video seeks to claim that flat earthers feel powerlessness in the face of the government and science, the way this video is shot makes the claim that maybe our powerlessness can be good, actually. But “In Search of Flat Earth” isn’t just a response to flat earthers; it’s also a response to Olson’s contemporaries who have made videos trying to convince flat earthers that their ideas are wrong. “In Search of Flat Earth” argues that flat earthers, and people with similar mindsets, can’t be logicked out of their mindsets — which turns into a surprise, mind-blowing third-act twist.

2. “The Satirical Resurgence of Reefer Madness,” Yhara Zayd

Yhara Zayd is somewhat of a newcomer to video essays, posting her first, “The Remake That Couldn’t: Skins U.S. ” in June 2019. Her catalogue of work has boomed in 2020, making selecting a video to feature difficult; her work is consistently standout, mixing analysis with dry comedy and heavy aesthetics. In a landmark year for marijuana legalization, “The Satirical Resurgence of Reefer Madness ” feels especially timely and important, but it’s also just a delight to watch. The video is not just a look into a criminally underrated musical starring Kristen Bell, Alan Cummings, and Ana Gasteyer. It’s a look into the real 1936 propaganda film of the same name, how the laws around marijuana criminalization were formed, and the deeply racist roots of anti-marijuana campaigns. Zayd’s soft but direct voice and distinctly internet-culture-informed humor make the video consistently engaging and fun while never shying away from what makes Reefer Madness so worthy of a campy parody musical.

3. “The Strange Reality of Roller Coaster Tycoon,” Jacob Geller

Roller Coaster Tycoon is a nostalgic classic — but what can it teach us about death? A weird amount, as Geller explains in “The Strange Reality of Roller Coaster Tycoon .” This video opens with the sentence, “There is at least one roller coaster designed specifically to kill you.” The “Euthanasia Coaster,” Geller explains, was never made, but would effectively kill a rider in just about a minute. As he breaks down the rituals around death, he winds his way around curves and loops, masterfully bringing the audience back to the game at the core of the video: Roller Coaster Tycoon . In just over 18 minutes, Geller’s analysis breaks down how the game allows for meaningful struggle in its mechanics — which the video essayist notes are similar in their coding to a roller coaster — while allowing for monstrosities, lethal roller coasters that bring your virtual park-goers to their grave. A roller coaster is meant to scare us, meant to spike adrenaline, meant to put the fear of death right in us, but fun! Geller’s discussion of Roller Coaster Tycoon shows just how much coasters, real or virtual, say about how we deal with death.

Disclosure: Jacob Geller has written for Polygon.

4. “ CATS ! And the Weird Mind of TS Eliot,” Maggie Mae Fish

Cats may have come out in 2019, but Maggie Mae Fish’s video essay on it came out in March 2020, so early into what the rest of the year would become. It was a small, but wonderfully unhinged blessing for video essay lovers who needed something bonkers to keep us afloat during quarantine. Fish’s performance background is in comedy and improv, notably working with Cracked before starting on her own video essays. Her writing and performance have a level of effervescent delight and bewilderment at most of the trash media she discusses, coming through most in her discussion of Cats .

But while a video on why Cats was bad could have been engaging and funny, Fish takes a step deeper, looking into the musical’s source material: the poetry of T.S. Eliot, a homophobic, antisemitic weirdo. Fish doesn’t just express Eliot’s politics, but explains why Cats pulls from fascist ideologies in its depiction of a tradition-heavy death cult. (Just, you know, with cats.) From there, Fish’s analysis goes even deeper. This video isn’t about not liking problematic media, or even “bad” media. It’s a video about deeply loving something that winds up parodying and subverting its roots.

5. “The Anatomy of Stan Culture,” Elexus Jionde (Intelexual Media)

Historian Elexius Jionde of Intelexual Media often takes a cultural anthropology lens in her videos, discussing topics like life in the American 1970s and the history of Black homelessness . In “The Anatomy of Stan Culture,” Jionde breaks down a current social phenomenon through a historical lens, asking why we stan and how we got here. Jionde dissects “celebrity worship disorder” and how fans obsess over their favorite celebrities, while not letting people who think they’re too good for the goss off the hook either. Using examples ranging from Bhad Babie to Selena Quintanilla to Victorian actors, Jionde shows how current celebrity culture is rooted in everything from politics to evolutionary biology. This 18-minute video is a crash course in how the celebrity industry runs, and it’s also an analysis of how we interact with celebrity right now. How do stans go from liking Ariana Grande’s music to replicating Ariana Grande’s voice to sending death threats to people who besmirch Ariana Grande’s name? Jionde doesn’t necessarily judge stans; instead, she shows how celebrity culture affects the rest of culture.

6. “On Writing: Mental Illness in Video Games,” Tim Hickson (Hello Future Me)

Before talking about what makes this video essay great, a warning: this video discusses struggles with mental health, including several aspects of suicide. It’s the heaviest video essay on this list, so make sure you know what you’re getting into before you watch.

Tim Hickson of the channel Hello Future Me opens the video by disclosing his experience working for a youth mental health and suicide intervention hotline. From there, he first discusses the ways in which video games, immersive narratives where players have control and make choices, can be cathartic for people with mental illnesses and informative for people who don’t. Citing games from World of Warcraft to Celeste to Prey to Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice , Hickson shows the different ways games dive into depression, social anxiety, and schizophrenia. A segment focused on Life is Strange ’s Kate Marsh dissects how a story can be cathartic for one person, but harmful for another. It’s a deeply empathetic video essay with rich research. It’s sobering, emotional, and moving.

7. “Why Anime is for Black People - Hip Hop x Anime,” Yedoye Travis (Beyond the Bot)

Beyond the Bot is a new New York-based collective making video essays about how anime impacts culture, and like with Yhara Zaid’s work, it was difficult to choose a favorite. “Why Anime is for Black People” is a standout for just how deep the analysis goes into the crossover between Black and East Asian culture. Going back to ’70s Blaxploitation and kung fu films, host and writer Yedoye Travis chronicles how East Asian media permeated Black culture, eventually leading to the Wu-Tang Clan sourcing their samples from films like The 36th Chamber of Shaolin and Shaolin and Wu Tang . Legendary producer J Dilla would later go on to sample East Asian music as well. And, of course, Travis spends a good deal talking about the important of the Toonami block of Adult Swim, and the importance of the network playing music from bands like Gorillaz and their lo-fi hip-hop bed music for bumps. Travis explains how the shows themselves — namely Cowboy Bebop , Samurai Champloo , and, of course, The Boondocks — made an impact on Black youth who grew up alongside the programming. The historical lens of the cross-culture influences allows this analysis to go deeper than similar video essays, but the tone stays casual, giving plenty of asides and jokes for people familiar with the content.

8. “What Is *Good* Queer Representation in 2020?,” Princess Weekes (MelinaPendulum)

2020 has been a landmark year for queer representation in the media, and Princess Weekes’ “What Is *Good* Queer Representation in 2020?” seeks to pick apart what has been “good,” what has been “bad,” and most often, what has just been complicated. Like any discussion of representation, Weekes talks about how important it is for queer people to see different versions of queer people in a variety of media, and the tendency for queer people to overlook works by queer creators, or judge them more harshly than works by creators who aren’t queer. She breaks down queer assimilation and respectability politics, taking a stance that’s emotional and personal, while still being relatable and pervasive. This video essay is a great start for how we can start discussing ways to complicate representation, to move away from the sanitization of queer narratives, and understand that what makes one person feel seen might do the opposite for someone else.

9. “Fallout: New Vegas Is Genius, And Here’s Why,” Harry Brewis (hbomberguy)

Harry Brewis’ trend of surprisingly long videos with sarcastically simplistic titles continues with his hour-and-a-half testament to what makes a good narrative-heavy RPG, using Fallout: New Vegas as an example of the best of the best. Don’t let the title trick you into thinking the video is a review. It’s much closer to a masterclass on writing for games, and implementing your story and worldbuilding into every single aspect of that game. From the world to the companions to the main plot to the side quests to the combat to the continuity of consequences, Brewis lays out how Fallout: New Vegas gives its players genuine choices, and then makes those choices genuinely significant in the game. He argues the game actually deals in “gray morality” instead of just saying it does while pushing players to be Good or Evil. The choices in the game often leave the player ambivalent, while placing them in a wild world that players can choose to make even wilder. Brewis uses the video to talk about what makes Fallout: New Vegas work, and why so many games pale in comparison. It isn’t just that Fallout: New Vegas is good —it’s that it’s a meticulous game made by people who cared about every single detail they developed.

10. “Whisper of the Heart: How Does It Feel to Be an Artist,” Accented Cinema

Whisper of the Heart is one of the quieter Studio Ghibli films, and likewise, this video essay by Accented Cinema is quiet, lovely, and tender. Accented Cinema is a video essay channel that focuses on foreign (at least, foreign to the United States) media and its impact. “ Whisper of the Heart : How Does It Feel to Be an Artist” is the most personal essay on this list, a necessity for an analysis of the very personal feeling of creating art. In the video, the host discusses how most artists don’t have the frenzied drive media often depicts. Instead, they have the slow, sometimes frustrating, sometimes euphoric drive of anyone who does something because it’s who they are. This video also comes with a warning that it discusses a tragic death in the studio — but the way it brings the discussion of that death back to the essay’s thesis is spectacular.

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Why and How to Use YouTube Video Essays in Your Classroom

Topics:   Tech & Learning News & Media Literacy Digital Citizenship Relationships & Communication

Tanner Higgin

Use this unique art form to build your students' media-literacy skills.

Why and How to Use YouTube Video Essays in Your Classroom

Like many of you, I've done a lot of thinking about how we can better prepare students to be thoughtful, responsible, and critical consumers and creators. While I don't have all the answers, I've come to one conclusion: Media-literacy education must deal with YouTube. According to a 2019 Common Sense study , 88% of teens use YouTube. And despite the fact that YouTube says it is only for those age 13 or older, 76% of 8- to 12-year-olds say they use the site as well.

I've come to one conclusion: Media-literacy education must deal with YouTube.

What's more, YouTube is a unique beast and can't just be tacked on. It has its own celebrities, culture, norms, and memes and has even given rise to the dreaded " YouTube voice ." But what I find particularly fascinating is that YouTube has its own genres and types of videos. One of these -- the video essay -- is something I think can be a great tool for media-literacy education. Here's why.

What Are YouTube Video Essays?

YouTube video essays are long-form (relative to many other internet videos) critical videos that make arguments about media and culture. They're usually meticulously narrated and edited, juxtaposing video footage, images, audio, and text to make an argument much like a writer would do in a traditional essay. As former YouTube talent scout Jeremy Kaye puts it , video essays "take a structured, in-depth, analytical, and sometimes persuasive approach, as opposed to the quick 'explainer' video style."

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Why Are They Great for Learning?

It's easy to dismiss a lot of what circulates on YouTube as frivolous, silly, or even obnoxious, but video essays are the opposite. They demand students' attention but not through cartoonish gesturing, ultra-fast editing, and shock value (which even some of the more popular educational YouTubers fall prey to) -- there's room to breathe in these essays. To capture attention, video essays use a time-tested trick: being flat-out interesting. They present compelling questions or topics and then dig into them using media as evidence and explication. This makes them a great match for lessons on persuasive and argumentative writing.

Video essays model for students how YouTube can be a platform for critical communication.

But what I really love most about video essays is that they have something at stake; they ground their arguments in important cultural or political topics, exposing the ways media represents gender or race, for instance, or how media evolves over time and interacts with the world at large. Most importantly, video essays model for students how YouTube can be a platform for critical communication.

How Can They Be Used in Classrooms?

First, a caveat: Most of the channels below offer content that'll work best in an upper-middle or high school classroom. Some videos can also be explicit, so you'll want to do some browsing.

1. Conversation starter or lesson hook : Many of these videos serve as great two- to 10-minute introductions to topics relevant to classrooms across the curriculum.

2. Active viewing opportunity : Since video essays present often complex arguments, invite students to watch and rewatch videos and outline their theses, key points, and conclusions.

3. Research project : Have students find more examples that support, or argue against, a video's argument. Students could also write a response to a video essay.

4. Copyright lesson : Video essays are a great example of fair use. Show students that by adding their own commentary, they can use copyrighted material responsibly.

5. Assessment : Have students create their own video essays to demonstrate learning or media-creation skills like editing.

Channels and Videos to Check Out

Image nerdwriter.

This is an eclectic channel that's hard to pin down. Basically, the video topics focus on whatever intrigues the channel's creator, Evan Puschak. There's everything from an analysis of painting to MLK's " I Have a Dream " speech to film to the history of the fidget spinner .

Vox runs the gamut of issues in politics, culture, and pop culture. Their explainer-style videos can serve as conversation starters, and since they publish multiple videos a week, there's no shortage of choices. Also, make sure to check out their playlists offering essays on everything from music to climate change .

Image Noisy Images

This channel does a masterful job of uncovering the layered meaning -- social, political, and cultural -- in hip-hop and other music. While most of these videos are mature and only suitable in very particular high school contexts, there's brilliant work on everything from the poetic rhythms of the hip-hop group Migos to music video minimalism . Any one of the videos on Noisy Images could inspire a great lesson or unit.

Image Lindsay Ellis

Video essays are just one thing Lindsay does on her channel, and she's really good at them. Her videos often deal with heady topics like " the other ," but she boils them down in accessible ways. She also isn't afraid to throw in a few jokes to keep things interesting.

Image Genius

There's tons here focused on music, with a specific emphasis on hip-hop lyrics. One of my favorite series is called Deconstructed . While Deconstructed videos aren't typical video essays, they present color-coded breakdowns of the rhyme schemes in hip-hop tracks. Students could apply this technique to their favorite songs or poems.

Deconstructed rap lyrics by Genius

Image Every Frame A Painting

This now-defunct channel has 30 videos with some of the best film analysis on YouTube. If you're looking to help students analyze the language of film, this is the channel to check out. One of my personal favorites focuses on the work of a film editor .

Image Kaptain Kristian

Kristian focuses a lot on cartoons and comics, which is a nice entry point for younger kids. Each of his videos touches on big ideas in storytelling. For instance, his examination of Pixar movies delves into their rich themes that break the often rote themes of other animated movies. This video would pair well with creative writing lessons or literary analysis.

Image CGP Grey

One of the more long-running essayists on YouTube, CGP Grey has a fast-talking style with a lot of animation but does a good job of answering head-scratching questions like, " What if the electoral college is tied? " or explaining complex issues like copyright in a digestible way .

Image Lessons from the Screenplay

While this channel focuses on how screenwriting underpins film, the lessons offered in each of this channel's video essays are broadly applicable to the craft of writing in general.

Image Kogonada

I saved this one for last because it's the least traditional. Kogonada is a former academic turned filmmaker who gained popularity through his Vimeo video essays that, for the most part, elegantly edit together film clips without any narration. These videos are great if you're teaching a video- and film-editing class or film appreciation/criticism. Creating a narration-less video would be an excellent final project for students.

Image courtesy of Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Agency for American Education: Images of Teachers and Students in Action . 

Tanner Higgin

Tanner was Editorial Director, Learning Content at Common Sense Education where he led the editorial team responsible for edtech reviews and resources. Previously, he taught writing and media literacy for six years, and has a PhD from the University of California, Riverside. His research on video games and culture has been published in journals, books, and online, presented at conferences nationwide, and continues to be cited and taught in classes around the world. Prior to joining Common Sense Education, Tanner worked as a curriculum developer and researcher at GameDesk, helping to design and launch Educade.org and the PlayMaker School. While at GameDesk, he co-designed the United Colonies alternate reality game (ARG) with Mike Minadeo. This ARG is to date one of the most sophisticated to be implemented in a K-12 environment. Outside of education, Tanner has been a Technical Writer-Editor for the Department of Defense, a web designer, and co-editor and co-creator of a print literary journal.

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The video essay boom

Hour-long YouTube videos are thriving in the TikTok era. Their popularity reflects our desire for more nuanced content online.

by Terry Nguyen

A stock image illustration of a girl sitting on a couch, filming herself.

The video essay’s reintroduction into my adult life was, like many things, a side effect of the pandemic. On days when I couldn’t bring myself to read recreationally, I tried to unwind after work by watching hours and hours of YouTube.

My pseudo-intellectual superego, however, soon became dissatisfied with the brain-numbing monotony of “day in the life” vlogs, old Bon Appétit test kitchen videos, and makeup tutorials. I wanted content that was entertaining, but simultaneously informational, thoughtful, and analytical. In short, I wanted something that gave the impression that I, the passive viewer, was smart. Enter: the video essay.

Video essays have been around for about a decade, if not more, on YouTube. There is some debate over how the form preceded the platform; some film scholars believe the video essay was born out of and remains heavily influenced by essay films , a type of nonfiction filmmaking. Regardless, YouTube has become the undisputed home of the contemporary video essay. Since 2012, when the platform began to prioritize watch-time over views , the genre flourished. These videos became a significant part of the 2010s YouTube landscape, and were popularized by creators across film, politics, and academic subcultures.

Today, there are video essays devoted to virtually any topic you can think of, ranging anywhere from about 10 minutes to upward of an hour. The video essay has been a means to entertain fan theories , explore the lore of a video game or a historical deep dive , explain or critique a social media trend , or like most written essays, expound upon an argument, hypothesis , or curiosity proposed by the creator.

Some of the best-known video essay creators — Lindsay Ellis, Natalie Wynn of ContraPoints, and Abigail Thorn of PhilosophyTube — are often associated with BreadTube , an umbrella term for a group of left-leaning, long-form YouTubers who provide intellectualized commentary on political and cultural topics.

It’s not an exaggeration to claim that I — and many of my fellow Gen Zers — were raised on video essays, academically and intellectually. They were helpful resources for late-night cramming sessions (thanks Crash Course), and responsible for introducing a generation to first-person commentary on all sorts of cultural and political phenomena. Now, the kids who grew up on this content are producing their own.

“Video essays are a form that has lent itself particularly well to pop culture because of its analytical nature,” Madeline Buxton, the culture and trends manager at YouTube, told me. “We are starting to see more creators using video essays to comment on growing trends across social media. They’re serving as sort of real-time internet historians by helping viewers understand not just what is a trend, but the larger cultural context of something.”

A lot has been said about the video essay and its ever-shifting parameters . What does seem newly relevant is how the video essay is becoming repackaged, as long-form video creators find a home on platforms besides YouTube. This has played out concurrently with the pandemic-era shift toward short-form video, with Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube respectively launching Reels, Spotlight, and Shorts to compete against TikTok.

TikTok’s sudden, unwavering rise has proven the viability of bite-size content, and the app’s addictive nature has spawned fears about young people’s dwindling attention spans. Yet, the prevailing popularity of video essays, from new and old creators alike, suggests otherwise. Audiences have not been deterred from watching lengthy videos, nor has the short-form pivot significantly affected creators and their output. Emerging video essayists aren’t shying away from length or nuance, even while using TikTok or Reels as a supplement to grow their online following.

One can even argue that we are witnessing the video essay’s golden era . Run times are longer than ever, while more and more creators are producing long-form videos. The growth of “creator economy” crowdfunding tools, especially during the pandemic, has allowed video essayists to take longer breaks between uploads while retaining their production quality.

“I do feel some pressure to make my videos longer because my audience continues to ask for it,” said Tiffany Ferguson, a YouTube creator specializing in media criticism and pop culture commentary. “I’ve seen comments, both on my own videos and those I watch, where fans are like, ‘Yes, you’re feeding us,’ when it comes to longer videos, especially the hour to two-hour ones. In a way, the mentality seems to be: The longer the better.”

In a Medium post last April, the blogger A. Khaled remarked that viewers were “willing to indulge user-generated content that is as long as a multi-million dollar cinematic production by a major Hollywood studio” — a notion that seemed improbable just a few years ago, even to the most popular video essayists. To creators, this hunger for well-edited, long-form video is unprecedented and uniquely suitable for pandemic times.

The internet might’ve changed what we pay attention to, but it hasn’t entirely shortened our attention span, argued Jessica Maddox, an assistant professor of digital media technology at the University of Alabama. “It has made us more selective about the things we want to devote our attention to,” she told me. “People are willing to devote time to content they find interesting.”

“People are willing to devote time to content they find interesting”

Every viewer is different, of course. I find that my attention starts to wane around the 20-minute mark if I’m actively watching and doing nothing else — although I will admit to once spending a non-consecutive four hours on an epic Twin Peaks explainer . Last month, the channel Folding Ideas published a two-hour video essay on “the problem with NFTs,” which has garnered more than 6 million views so far.

Hour-plus-long videos can be hits, depending on the creator, the subject matter, the production quality, and the audience base that the content attracts. There will always be an early drop-off point with some viewers, according to Ferguson, who make it about two to five minutes into a video essay. Those numbers don’t often concern her; she trusts that her devoted subscribers will be interested enough to stick around.

“About half of my viewers watch up to the halfway point, and a smaller group finishes the entire video,” Ferguson said. “It’s just how YouTube is. If your video is longer than two minutes, I think you’re going to see that drop-off regardless if it’s for a video that’s 15 or 60 minutes long.”

Some video essayists have experimented with shorter content as a topic testing ground for longer videos or as a discovery tool to reach new audiences, whether it be on the same platform (like Shorts) or an entirely different one (like TikTok).

“Short-form video can expose people to topics or types of content they’re not super familiar with yet,” Maddox said. “Shorts are almost like a sampling of what you can get with long-form content.” The growth of Shorts, according to Buxton of YouTube, has given rise to this class of “hybrid creators,” who alternate between short- and long-form content. They can also be a starting point for new creators, who are not yet comfortable with scripting a 30-minute video.

Queline Meadows, a student in Ithaca College’s screen cultures program, became interested in how young people were using TikTok to casually talk about film, using editing techniques that borrowed heavily from video essays. She created her own YouTube video essay titled “The Rise of Film TikTok” to analyze the phenomenon, and produces both TikTok micro-essays and lengthy videos.

“I think people have a desire to understand things more deeply,” Meadows told me. “Even with TikTok, I find it hard to unfold an argument or explore multiple angles of a subject. Once people get tired of the hot takes, they want to sit with something that’s more nuanced and in-depth.”

It’s common for TikTokers to tease a multi-part video to gain followers. Many have attempted to direct viewers to their YouTube channel and other platforms for longer content. On the contrary, it’s in TikTok’s best interests to retain creators — and therefore viewers — on the app. In late February, TikTok announced plans to extend its maximum video length from three minutes to 10 minutes , more than tripling a video’s run-time possibility. This decision arrived months after TikTok’s move last July to start offering three-minute videos .

As TikTok inches into YouTube-length territory, Spotify, too, has introduced video on its platform, while YouTube has similarly signaled an interest in podcasting . In October, Spotify began introducing “video podcasts,” which allows listeners (or rather, viewers) to watch episodes. Users have the option to toggle between actively watching a podcast or traditionally listening to one.

What’s interesting about the video podcast is how Spotify is positioning it as an interchangeable, if not more intimate, alternative to a pure audio podcast. The video essay, then, appears to occupy a middle ground between podcast and traditional video by making use of these key elements. For creators, the boundaries are no longer so easy to define.

“Some video essay subcultures are more visual than others, while others are less so,” said Ferguson, who was approached by Spotify to upload her YouTube video essays onto the platform last year. “I was already in the process of trying to upload just the audio of my old videos since that’s more convenient for people to listen to and save on their podcast app. My reasoning has always been to make my content more accessible.”

To Ferguson, podcasts are a natural byproduct of the video essay. Many viewers are already consuming lengthy videos as ambient entertainment, as content to passively listen to while doing other tasks. The video essay is not a static format, and its development is heavily shaped by platforms, which play a crucial role in algorithmically determining how such content is received and promoted. Some of these changes are reflective of cultural shifts, too.

Maddox, who researches digital culture and media, has a theory that social media discourse is becoming less reactionary. She described it as a “simmering down” of the hot take, which is often associated with cancel culture . These days, more creators are approaching controversy from a removed, secondhand standpoint; they seem less interested in engendering drama for clicks. “People are still providing their opinions, but in conjunction with deep analysis,” Maddox said. “I think it says a lot about the state of the world and what holds people’s attention.”

That’s the power of the video essay. Its basic premise — whether the video is a mini-explainer or explores a 40-minute hypothesis — requires the creator to, at the very least, do their research. This often leads to personal disclaimers and summaries of alternative opinions or perspectives, which is very different from the more self-centered “reaction videos” and “story time” clickbait side of YouTube.

“The things I’m talking about are bigger than me. I recognize the limitations of my own experience,” Ferguson said. “Once I started talking about intersections of race, gender, sexuality — so many experiences that were different from my own — I couldn’t just share my own narrow, straight, white woman perspective. I have to provide context.”

This doesn’t change the solipsistic nature of the internet, but it is a positive gear shift, at least in the realm of social media discourse, that makes being chronically online a little less soul-crushing. The video essay, in a way, encourages us to engage in good faith with ideas that we might not typically entertain or think of ourselves. Video essays can’t solve the many problems of the internet (or the world, for that matter), but they can certainly make learning about them a little more bearable.

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youtube essay topics

Social Media: YouTube essay

Today, social media play an increasingly more important role in the life of society because users spend a lot of time online and they view social media as an important source of information about issues which users are concerned with. YouTube, being one of the mainstream social media, allows users to share their videos online, create their channels and, thus, create their virtual communities united by common interests. YouTube also becomes a tool of the promotion of individuals and ideas because users can use the social media to promote themselves and their ideas. In such a situation, the distinct feature of YouTube is its performativity because users publishing their videos on YouTube focus on their performativity. Otherwise, they will not attract many users and become virtually useless for other users of YouTube but the authors of those videos (Lombe & Ssewamala 39). Hence, the performativity is not only the distinct feature of YouTube but also an essential condition of success of videos published on YouTube, whereas the public grows too concerned with the performativity that often leads to the failure of the audience to notice really significant and important issues, while perfomrability become prior to the cultural and social value of videos and messages published on YouTube. In such a way, the performativity of YouTube has a dubious effect, since, on the one hand, YouTube performativity makes it attractive and powerful social media allowing sharing visual data by users worldwide, while, on the other hand, YouTube performativity has a de structive impact on the existing legal and socio-cultural or ethical norms because often data published on YouTube violate basic rights, such as privacy or copyright, and offend existing ethical norms.

At the same time, social media became generators of the mainstream culture and new trends. In this regard, it is worth mentioning the fact that the development of social media, like YouTube, opens new opportunities for the development of virtual social communities united by their common interests. Users spend more and more time online developing their virtual social relations online. Social media become an important part of their life and virtual communities created with the help of and within social media play an important part in the development of socio-cultural norms and standards that affect the development of basic ethical and cultural norms of people and influence their lifestyle substantially.

YouTube has become a highly influential media which is extremely popular among users worldwide. Today, YouTube has millions or even billions of users worldwide. This is one of the most popular social media along with FaceBook, Twitter and others. The popularity of YouTube is closely intertwined with the publishing opportunity offered by the social media because users can publish their videos both documentary and featured ones. In such a way, users get ample opportunities to share their videos instantly. At the same time, the distinct feature of YouTube is its perfomrability because it is the performativity of videos that attracts users and the more performable a video is the more users will watch it, the more popular it becomes.

Even though YouTube focuses on sharing videos mainly, the social media still opens wide opportunities for users to share their creative ideas and make them performable. Users may be driven by different concerns, while publishing their videos and sharing information with others. Some of them may be willing to publishing some interesting facts recorded by them in the real world, while others manifest their creativity with the help of YouTube.

YouTube allows watching diverse videos and channels which may vary in their content. However, the popularity of videos determines their availability to the audience that influences the perception of information by the audience. For instance, the video that has the highest number of views becomes more and more popular and becomes mainstream, even though in its essence the video may have little cultural value or poor messages (Warr 291). In fact, the point is to make videos performable. The overwhelming majority of users publishing their videos on YouTube are concerned with the popularity of their videos than their content. Such a competition encourages users to focus on performativity of their videos above all.

What makes YouTube really popular and mainstream social media is its performativity because the audience receive what it wants and expects from the media, the performance, the show and entertainment with the possibility of the further communication and even interaction with other users of YouTube. For instance, users publishing the video on YouTube may expect the positive feedback from other users. If they receive a negative feedback, they may become interested in creating a new video to match the public interests. In such a way, videos become more and more performable to gain the positive feedback from the part of other users watching them on YouTube.

However, often the quantity of views determines the popularity of videos in YouTube and users erroneously associate the quality of the video with the number of views. In other words, they may believe that if the video has a large number of views, than it is good and mainstream.

Furthermore, users can leave comments after the video that also contributes to the formation of specific ideas because users may conduct disputes as they leave their comments.

Furthermore, videos published on YouTube may encourage users to publish their video responses that contribute to the further attraction of the users’ attention to the issue that has become the subject of controversy or dispute between users.

The popularity of YouTube is, to a significant extent, determined by the interest of the audience in visual information. In fact, it is not the interest proper. To put it more precisely, users prefer YouTube because this social media provides them with visual messages which are preferable for the public than print messages for instance (Warr 290). As people perceive the information about the surrounding world with the help of vision, they naturally choose YouTube in place of other social media because they have an opportunity to receive visual information that facilitates their perception of messages conveyed via YouTube.

At the same time, it is necessary to take the commercial background and opportunities offered by YouTube to its users. For instance, users can benefit from the cooperation with advertisers but they need to make their videos and channels popular to attract more advertisers. In such a way, YouTube offers business opportunities for users that stimulates the development of diverse channels to meet current demands of the public or create new ones.

Social Media: YouTube essay part 2

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Essay Topics – List of 500+ Essay Writing Topics and Ideas

List of 500+ essay writing topics and ideas.

Essay topics in English can be difficult to come up with. While writing essays , many college and high school students face writer’s block and have a hard time to think about topics and ideas for an essay. In this article, we will list out many good essay topics from different categories like argumentative essays, essays on technology, environment essays for students from 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th grades. Following list of essay topics are for all – from kids to college students. We have the largest collection of essays. An essay is nothing but a piece of content which is written from the perception of writer or author. Essays are similar to a story, pamphlet, thesis, etc. The best thing about Essay is you can use any type of language – formal or informal. It can biography, the autobiography of anyone. Following is a great list of 100 essay topics. We will be adding 400 more soon!

But Before that you may wanna read some awesome Essay Writing Tips here .

500+ essay topics for students and children

Get the Huge list of 100+ Speech Topics here

Argumentative Essay Topics

  • Should plastic be banned?
  • Pollution due to Urbanization
  • Education should be free
  • Should Students get limited access to the Internet?
  • Selling Tobacco should be banned
  • Smoking in public places should be banned
  • Facebook should be banned
  • Students should not be allowed to play PUBG

Essay Topics on Technology

  • Wonder Of Science
  • Mobile Phone

Essay Topics on Festivals on Events

  • Independence Day (15 August)
  • Teachers Day
  • Summer Vacation
  • Children’s Day
  • Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
  • Janmashtami
  • Republic Day

Essay Topics on Education

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  • Importance of Education
  • Contribution of Technology in Education

youtube essay topics

Essay Topics on Famous Leaders

  • Mahatma Gandhi
  • APJ Abdul Kalam
  • Jawaharlal Nehru
  • Swami Vivekananda
  • Mother Teresa
  • Rabindranath Tagore
  • Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
  • Subhash Chandra Bose
  • Abraham Lincoln
  • Martin Luther King
  • Lal Bahadur Shashtri

Essay Topics on Animals and Birds

  • My Favorite Animal

Essays Topics About Yourself

  • My Best Friend
  • My Favourite Teacher
  • My Aim In Life
  • My Favourite Game – Badminton
  • My Favourite Game – Essay
  • My Favourite Book
  • My Ambition
  • How I Spent My Summer Vacation
  • India of My Dreams
  • My School Life
  • I Love My Family
  • My Favourite Subject
  • My Favourite Game Badminton
  • My Father My Hero
  • My School Library
  • My Favourite Author
  • My plans for summer vacation

Essay Topics Based on Environment and Nature

  • Global Warming
  • Environment
  • Air Pollution
  • Environmental Pollution
  • Water Pollution
  • Rainy Season
  • Climate Change
  • Importance Of Trees
  • Winter Season
  • Deforestation
  • Natural Disasters
  • Save Environment
  • Summer Season
  • Trees Our Best Friend Essay In English

Essay Topics Based on Proverbs

  • Health Is Wealth
  • A Stitch in Time Saves Nine
  • An Apple a Day Keeps Doctor Away
  • Where there is a will, there is way
  • Time and Tide wait for none

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Essay Topics for Students from 6th, 7th, 8th Grade

  • Noise Pollution
  • Environment Pollution
  • Women Empowerment
  • Time and Tide Wait for none
  • Science and Technology
  • Importance of Sports
  • Sports and Games
  • Time Management
  • Cleanliness is next to Godliness
  • Cleanliness
  • Rome was not Built in a Day
  • Unemployment
  • Clean India
  • Cow Essay In English
  • Describe Yourself
  • Festivals Of India
  • Ganesh Chaturthi
  • Healthy Food
  • Importance Of Water
  • Plastic Pollution
  • Value of Time
  • Honesty is the Best Policy
  • Gandhi Jayanti
  • Human Rights
  • Knowledge Is Power
  • Same Sex Marriage
  • Childhood Memories
  • Cyber Crime
  • Kalpana Chawla
  • Punctuality
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IMAGES

  1. 99 Best Argumentative Essay Topics for Students

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  3. An overview of YouTube Essay Example

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  5. 10 Lines on YouTube in English//Essay on YouTube in English//Paragraph on YouTube//#YouTube

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  6. The Effect of Youtube on Our Society: [Essay Example], 654 words

    youtube essay topics

VIDEO

  1. 10 Great YouTube Channels for Teaching Video Essays

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  3. IELTS Writing: MOST IMPORTANT Essays By Asad Yaqub

  4. Important Essay Topics

  5. 2021 Most Common College Essay Topics

  6. YouTube Ideas For 2021

COMMENTS

  1. 115 YouTube Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

    These essays cover a wide range of topics and can be a great way to engage with an audience. If you're looking for some inspiration for your next YouTube essay, here are 115 topic ideas and examples to get you started: The impact of social media on mental health. The evolution of feminism in popular culture.

  2. 10 of the Most Niche YouTube Video Essays You Absolutely ...

    As Olson points out, "In Search of Flat Earth" could have an alternative clickbait title of "The Twist at 37 Minutes Will Make You Believe We Live In Hell.". Over the years, Dan Olson of ...

  3. 96 YouTube Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

    The YouTube Video "How to Choose Your News" by Damon Brown. Nowadays, social media, blogs, and YouTube channels have increased the freedom for people to report information, which affects the credibility and reliability of the news. Evaluation of YouTube Trends: Impact of Work-Life Balance.

  4. Free Essay Topics

    Welcome to IvyPanda Study Hub! 🎉📚 In our "Free Essay Topics" playlist, we've curated a collection of diverse essay topics to help you excel in your writing. ...

  5. 13 Best Video Essay YouTubers in 2024 According to Viewers

    5. hbomberguy - 1.6M Subscribers. Hbomberguy is a highly respected YouTuber famous for his well-researched video essays. With a focus on various topics ranging from video games to social critiques of modernity, Hbomberguy delivers arguments backed by cited facts.

  6. 17 YouTube Video Essays To Make You A Niche Topic Expert

    Watch on. Madisyn Brown is a video essayist and singer who has posted a range of video essays on her channel discussing issues relating to femininity, artists in the music industry, and other pop culture-related topics. In this 25-minute video essay, she discusses how the spaces for teenagers to find community and identity is becoming obsolete ...

  7. The best video essays of 2022

    Deconstructing the Bridge by Total Refusal. This is perhaps the least "essay-like" video on this list. It's more of a university-level lecture, but set in the least academic forum imaginable ...

  8. How to make a YouTube video essay that breaks through

    Lindsay Ellis, Michael Tucker (Lessons from the Screenplay), T1J, Maggie Mae Fish, and Patrick Willems come together to talk about finding topics, making and cutting movies, the YouTube algorithm ...

  9. The best video essays of 2021 to watch on YouTube

    In my video essay list for our Masterpieces of Streaming series, I gave a brief history of video essays through the lens of educational videos. In "Breaking Bread," F. D. Signifier offers an ...

  10. 10 Video Essays That Will Get You Addicted To Video Essays

    With 100s of video essayists on 100s of channels across Vimeo and youtube, getting into video essays can be overwhelming. As a self-confessed video essay addict, I've picked ten great video essays to kick you down the rabbit hole. These are perfect for chucking on instead of aimlessly scrolling, or filling the time on your commute, while also ...

  11. The best video essays of 2023

    The best video essays on YouTube came from Hbomberguy, Defunctland, F.D. Signifier and more, explaining race, politics, Barbie, media, and YouTube itself.

  12. The best video essays of 2020

    It's sobering, emotional, and moving. 7. "Why Anime is for Black People - Hip Hop x Anime," Yedoye Travis (Beyond the Bot) Beyond the Bot is a new New York-based collective making video ...

  13. 50 Great Essay Topics for High School Students

    See the full list of prompts here: https://www.journalbuddies.com/writing-grade-level/essay-prompts-high-school/Covering topics like communication, rites of ...

  14. Why and How to Use YouTube Video Essays in Your Classroom

    Active viewing opportunity: Since video essays present often complex arguments, invite students to watch and rewatch videos and outline their theses, key points, and conclusions. 3. Research project: Have students find more examples that support, or argue against, a video's argument. Students could also write a response to a video essay.

  15. How to Brainstorm a Great College Essay Topic

    In this video, I share a few tips on how to brainstorm a great personal statement topic. We'll talk about what makes a great topic in the first place, as wel...

  16. 99 Best Argumentative Essay Topics for Students

    An argumentative (or persuasive essay) essay aims to persuade or convince the audience to understand the other side of the argument. And if you're struggling...

  17. Hour-long YouTube video essays are thriving in the TikTok era

    Mar 9, 2022, 5:00 AM PST. Video essays are thriving in the TikTok era, even while platforms like YouTube are pivoting to promote short-form content. Getty Images. The video essay's ...

  18. 50 Argumentative Essay Topics

    #writingtips #essay #argumentative Don't spend another moment searching for an argumentative essay topic, save this video and have 50 in hand for a variety o...

  19. Social Media: YouTube essay

    YouTube, being one of the mainstream social media, allows users to share their videos online, create their channels and, thus, create their virtual communities united by common interests. YouTube also becomes a tool of the promotion of individuals and ideas because users can use the social media to promote themselves and their ideas.

  20. English Essay: How to Write about ANY Essay Topic

    In this video, Jay explains how to write about topics for English Essay writing. After watching this video, you should know how to write a good essay on any ...

  21. ≡Essays on Youtube. Free Examples of Research Paper Topics, Titles

    Introduction YouTube, a leading platform for user-generated content, has become a cornerstone of modern media consumption. Its significance in content creation cannot be overstated, with millions of individuals worldwide engaging in the creation and sharing of videos on diverse topics. This essay explores the opportunities...

  22. Essay Topics

    Find 500+ Essay writing topics for students, college students, kids and students from grade 6, 7, 8. We have the largest collection of essay topics and ideas. Find 500+ Essay writing topics for students, college students, kids and students from grade 6, 7, 8. Learn. CBSE. Class 5 to 12. Physics. Difference Between in Physics;

  23. How to Write an Awesome College Essay on a Common Topic

    The college essay examples I analyze in this video demonstrate four qualities of an outstanding personal statement despite using pretty common topics. I'll a...

  24. We Need to Rethink Exercise (Updated Version)

    Go to https://brilliant.org/nutshell/ to dive deeper into these topics and more with a free 30-day trial + 20% off the premium subscription! This video was s...

  25. Sean McDermott: "We Played Our Style of Football ...

    Buffalo Bills Head Coach Sean McDermott meets with the media following the Bills' 31-10 win over the Miami Dolphins. Topics include: The success of the Bills...

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    25+ Marks Guaranteed in Other Law | CA Inter Sep 2024 | CA Inter Other Law Important Topics | How to Score 25+ Marks in CA Inter Law | ICAI Exams 2024 | How ...

  27. MAGA propaganda decoded: Obama's fave historian shreds ...

    MSNBC's Ari Melber sits down with Yuval Noah Harari (@YuvalNoahHarari), author of "Nexus," for an in-depth interview on a wide range of topics. They dive int...