The Ana Edit Issue #4: Youtube Productivity Channels
Turning Stereotypically Unproductive Platforms into Productive Ones/ Youtube Edition
Ana's Corner
This was a stupendous week in the grand scheme of the past few months, albeit this is not a particularly rigorous status to obtain. I cannot speak on behalf of everyone, but I believe most people despise quarantine which is a reasonable hatred to possess. This week, August 24 to August 30 (I wrote the date for my purposes since I have not known the date since quarantine started back in March), consisted of multiple zoom conferences, a birthday party, tons of epiphanies, and nights spent watching my favorite show Lucifer. Let us begin by discussing “Lucifer”. If you have yet to watch it, for whatever are you waiting? The unique plot, the complex themes, the unique spin on the trope of the devil, and the romance between the protagonists is out of this world. Not to mention, Tom Ellis is not too shabby himself. Season 5a was just released which I started and promptly finished. Now, I have to wait till God knows how long for 5b. There is something to be said about treasuring a show and watching it incrementally to really relish in the episodes. Unfortunately, the temptation to binge is too high. Short term gratification versus long term effects, I suppose.
Moving on, I also had a large range of Zoom meetings this week. From meetings for a climate change initiative I joined, to meeting with fellow people who run a community service club with me, Zoom has been a featured player in my life. Usually, I detest Zoom calls. Having to communicate to strangers and get dolled up for an hour call only to get back into my pajamas shortly thereafter is not the highlight of my life. Frankly put, it does not make my heart pitter-patter. However, this week was different. I was actively engaged in every single meeting I attended because I earnestly loved all the reasons and organizations that hosted the meetings. Some have grown to villainize Zoom, an understandable position to take as I critiqued it earlier myself, but it is not all Zoom’s fault. Sure, the quality could be better, the free time permitted could be longer, and the glitches could be minimized. Despite all these flaws, Zoom is not solely culpable for our bad experiences. Ask yourself, would I be enjoying this call if it was in person? If not, then the issue is the company you keep and to whom you give your time. Nonetheless, sometimes we are forced to suck it up and forge ahead. For that, I would recommend using Zoom’s virtual background feature in which you can change your background to virtually anything you want simply by downloading an image of a desirable location from the internet. This remedies the issue of showcasing a messy environment and will distract from your appearance if you look less than ravishing.
How to Be Productive On Youtube
Let’s face it, during quarantine we have all partaken in ample media consumption and video binging. After all, who can resist watching reruns of “Grey’s Anatomy” and “America’s Got Talent”? Although it feels great to watch frivolous content that has no utility, our time can be much better spent consuming content in a meaningful way. You do not need a textbook to learn something and you certainly do not have to learn something painstakingly. I propose using Youtube to sprinkle in some meaningful content that will stick in your brain. That truly is the benefit of videos: you never seem to forget them. When is the last time you forgot your favorite show or a movie? Most people can recall exactly what happened in a Youtube Video or movie long after they watched it, but the same does not hold true for books or words on a page. Do you remember the intricacies of a book you read a year ago? Do you even remember the overview? Conversely, do you remember what happened in the last Romantic Comedy you watched? The following is a list of my favorite Youtubers I watch when I casually want to better myself while still engaging in relatively low effort tasks.
1. Ali Abdaal
Ali is possibly my favorite youtuber which says a lot considering I am subscribed to more than 30 youtubers all of whom are top notch creators and provide stellar content. He is a Junior Doctor in Cambridge and is mostly focused on productivity and self help tips with vlogs during shifts and technology reviews sprinkled in. From Ali, I have not only been introduced to Notion, but have learned about wonderful books to read, started to watch my videos on 1.2x speed (a tip he recommends), how to make money on the internet, spaced repetition (a study technique) and much more. Ali has managed to make more than 2 times the amount he makes as a Doctor on Youtube and teaches his viewers how to do the same. Unlike others, the advice he gives is not touted as being the holy grail and pinnacle of all advice. He is not pretentious and does not pretend to hold all the answers. Instead, he offers lessons he learns and allows his viewers to take from that what they may. If you do not follow Ali, I would beseech you to change that, sooner rather than later.
https://youtu.be/bpikCLhpIRY
For every youtuber mentioned, I included one video of theirs that I feel is some of their best content or best represents their channel.
2. Thomas Frank
How to Make Money on the Internet: 5 Different Methods
Thomas Frank is a channel analogous to Ali’s in that they both make advice style videos. The main difference between these two channels, other than the fact that they are different people , thus they convey information in disparate ways, is that Thomas, in my opinion, is more technical. For instance, he has made videos on techniques used my Eisenhower and Elon Musk. Ali might mention eminent, successful people like this but rarely does he ever actually make a dedicated video to them. In that vein, Thomas is more technical. Regardless, everyone can get value from watching both of their channels. With their tips in your toolbox, you are well on your way to being a productivity master. I love Thomas’ videos on Student advice and useful websites for students. In fact, he has written his own *free* book on how to get better grades. I admittedly have not read it myself because I am too far in the vortex of productivity and self help to add more to my plate, but from the little trinkets I gathered through his videos, he definitely knows what he is discussing.
3. Jubilee
6 Teens vs 1 Secret Parent | Odd Man Out
Shop our newest drop of humangood apparel! https://humangoodla.com Follow us on INSTAGRAM: 👉https://www.instagram.com/jubileemedia/ 👈 SUBSCRIBE for more! htt…
Jubilee is a well known channel and deservedly so. Jubilee focuses on societal stigmas and breaking them down so their audience can better understand their unconscious biases. Some of my favorite Jubilee series are “Middle Ground” and “Spectrum”. In the former, two groups on the opposite side of an issue are read a series of prompts in hopes of finding some commonality or mutual understand (a middle ground). In the latter, individuals who have something in common such as gender, political party, race, age, etc are brought together and are read a series of prompts just like in the “Middle Ground” series. After hearing the prompt, they must identify where they fall on a spectrum from strongly agree to strongly disagree. The purpose of the videos is to convey that merely having something in common with another does not mean you are one and the same. Human beings are all unique and shaped by variables such as socioeconomic status, household dynamics, and community. Therefore, you should think twice about making crude generalizations. Along with their more profound content, they also film more light hearted content such as “sliding into strangers’ dms”
4. Vox
America's presidential primaries, explained
Why does America’s system for picking the president start in Iowa? Before Americans vote on the next president in November, both major political parties have…
Vox is my default channel to learn about everything, no exaggeration. From covering presidential primaries to addressing the coffee crisis, Vox ensures viewers are as well rounded and educated as they can be. Moreover, they are informative without droning on. Videos typically fall under the 10 minute mark, so there is not much of a cost to watching Vox videos. To me, sparing 5-10 minutes will always be worthwhile especially when all the content is useful and meticulously chosen.
5. TLDR
Belarusian's Protest Lukashenko's 80% Election Victory: The Full Timeline Explained - TLDR News
Daily Briefing Newsletter: https://www.tldrnews.co.uk/daily Daily Briefing Podcast: https://anchor.fm/dailybriefing Daily Briefing YouTube: https://www.youtu…
TLDR has multiple channels that each focus on a different area or sphere of world affairs and politics. There is TLDR News EU, TLDR News US, TLDR Daily, TLDR News, and TLDR Podcast. How they manage to create such sublime content across more than 4 channels is beyond me. Nevertheless, I am grateful they muster up the time. One issue I find when researching to stay informed is information is seldom presented objectively. Instead, dogma labelled as fact is laden with conspicuous bias. TLDR and the associated channels are by far some of the most objective channels I have discovered. Additionally, the information is presented in a succinct, simple way that is easy to follow. For these reasons, the TLDR is my go to channel for world news and I would wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone.
6. Ted-Ed
The dark history of IQ tests - Stefan C. Dombrowski
Explore the history of IQ tests; how they measure a person’s intelligence and the ways they have been used to justify scientifically baseless ideologies. – …
When the lay person hears Ted anything, there mind tends to drift to Ted Talks and inspirational speeches intended to galvanize the audience into bettering themselves and making positive changes. While I personally love Ted Talks, they are not everyone’s cup of tea. Well, rest assured because the companion channel Ted-Ed is completely unrelated to Ted-Talks. Instead, Ted-Ed makes bite-sized content with amazing graphics that present topics in a fascinating way. Ted-Ed is not the channel to go to if you want a comprehensive understanding of a topic, but it is perfect for introductions to a field and acquiring a basic understanding of a phenomenon. I peruse the channel when I have a moment to spare and want to learn some fun miscellaneous facts that make for a good conversation starter.
7. LegalEagle
Quid Pro Quo? Taylor and Vindman testify (Real Law Review)
Was there a quid pro quo? What is a quid pro quo? What’s the big deal. Legal Eagles get 2 months of unlimited learning on Skillshare for FREE: https://skl.sh…
I discovered LegalEagle through a “Legally Blonde” reaction video and I have been hooked ever since. Admittedly, I am partial to the channel because I want to be a lawyer so naturally I find law videos entertaining. Irrespective of this bias, I still believe this channel transcends the niche group of a prospective lawyer. LegalEagle makes a myriad of reaction videos to popular shows such as “How To Get Away With Murder”, meaning even if you are not a staunch political student, there is something for you. He also shares some tips and tricks of the trade to excelling in law school, which is particularly helpful considering the rigor of the field.
Conclusion
You have made it to the end of the letter! I hope you were able to uncover the power of Youtube and how it does not have to be a drain for your time and energy. If you want more recommendations and posts like this, give this letter a thumbs up! To vote on future topics, please see the link below.
