PLUS: Downloads said to feel like drugs; the good side of bullies; YouTube at five
A Chance Happening? — Nick Jonas? Justin Bieber? Old news. The latest singing sensation is a 12-year-old (some reports say he’s 13) Oklahoman by the name of Greyson Chance, who rocketed to fame after performing a riveting rendition of Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” during a school festival earlier this spring. The performance landed on YouTube, and 13 million hits later he found himself on the “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” where he performed again—and received a call from Lady Gaga herself, who called the lad “sweet and talented.” “I’m so excited that you covered Paparazzi,” she added. “Just keep following your dreams, work really hard, and stay away from girls.” That might’ve gotten just a bit harder now that Chance has signed a recording contract with Interscope Records. Chance’s sudden rise has some experts wondering whether it perhaps was orchestrated—that there’s more to the boy’s mecurial fame than just a random YouTube clip. Regardless of whether Chance had help it still illustrates one thing: The path to fame has changed. “In case its dominance of all things pop culture wasn’t already clear,” writes ABC’s Sheila Marikar, “if you’re a young singer hoping to get discovered, the place to be isn’t a mall casting call or a teen idol factory—it’s YouTube.” (ABC News, Toronto Sun)
YouTube: Biggest 5-Year-Old Ever — On April 23, 2005, YouTube officially was born. We don’t know what the first video on the site was, but our guess is it had something to do with cats. YouTube’s come a long way since then. In honor of the ubiquitous video-sharing site’s fifth birthday, the folks at YouTube revealed that users now download more than two billion videos … a day. “To see how YouTube has become part of pop culture, it’s been just amazing,” says YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley. “I don’t reflect very often, but those types of things I find fascinating. The political moments, or the chance individuals around the world have had to share their experiences or talents and see them recognized has been very special for me.” (USA Today)
With Enemies Like These — We’ve all heard about the horrors of bullying—how they can make kids stressed and depressed, how they can leave lasting scars and insecurities, how sometimes they can even lead to suicide. However, researchers say that antagonistic relationships sometimes may be beneficial—depending in part how children react. “Friendships provide a context in which children develop, but of course so do negative peer relations,” says Maruissa Abecassis, psychologist at Colby-Sawyer College in New Hampshire. “We should expect that both types of relationships, as different as they are, present opportunities for growth.” Most children and teens who had an enemy or two in school are doing fine as adults. Childhood enemies subconsciously may help teach children to detect similar traits in their co-workers and friends as adults—when the stakes are higher. Psychologists believe that when a child is pushed, it actually may be beneficial for the child to push back. (The New York Times)
High on Sound — An online company is selling sound downloads the company claims can make users feel as if they’re using drugs. The sensations are made possible through something called binaural sounds—beats used by doctors since the 1970s for various reasons; I-Doser says these same sounds can alter users’ moods and temporarily their minds. Some (I-Doser claims) can effect a person’s brain the same way a dose of oxycontin can. Others can mimic the effect of cocaine or crystal meth, and downloads can cost around $4.50. (Live5News.com, 5/18/10)
More Youth Culture Updates:
