There was a time, not too long ago, where if you wanted to see a video, to listen to a song, or even read an article, you would have to have a physical copy of whatever media content you were interested in using. That has all changed now. In our times, if you want to see a video, or listen to a song, watch a documentary, etc. one only has to type a description of what one is looking for and odds are that you'll be able to find it very quickly somewhere on the Internet, most likely on Youtube.
Youtube is now full of amazing Italian recipe videos such as this one. So, shame on you If you are still eating Taco Bell, Totinos Pizza and Hot Pockets!
Youtube can be one of your best allies in your language learning process!
Given the advancements in video capturing technology (GoPros, DSLRS, SmartPhones with nice video, etc.), content creation has exploded in the past 5 years; especially in Italy.
Certainly there is quite a bit of bizarrely bad videos and extremely weird stuff out there; but there is also an incredible number of amazing videos that are worth watching. Many of these videos have Italian or English subtitles in them, as Italian content producers are understanding that their work is seen by people from all over the world, including thousands of people learning Italian just like you.
To get the most out of Youtube, we recommend subscribing to a VPN such as "HideMyAss".
This will allow you to set your location as "Italy'", which will trick Youtube into thinking you are in Italy and give you access to many videos that are only available there. With the help of a VPN, we found many Italian "trap" videos that were unavailable in the US for some odd reason.
A VPN is also a great way to browse the internet with a minimum amount of privacy, you can learn more about them here.
Another good idea is to change the default country of your Youtube homepage to Italy and check out the "trending" page, which will give you the top videos that are being watched in Italy right now. Youtube is usually accessed via smartphones, which practically everyone has them inside their pockets, all of the time. This means, the trending page of Youtube can be a great way to tap into the collective brain of Italy and understand what are the things that are making Italians tick at this point in time; especially if you spend some time reading the comment sections. This is a good way to know the hot/current topics of conversation among Italians.
One of the last videos of Achille Lauro, which reached the #1 Youtube Trending position in Italy last week. The creators of the video called fans through social media to get together in the center of Milano to film the images (without letting the police know!). An example of the type of content one could only find on Youtube, if a TV station would have attempted this, most likely the producers would have gone to jail.
Italian Youtube has given many gifts to the world, such as the entire Italian trap musical movement which basically started in that video platform. It has also given us interesting Vlogs, independent shows, and many super bad and crazy videos we would have never been able to watch had Youtube not existed.
We leave you with 5 Youtube channels that you may find interesting. Also, if you have a favorite video that you'd like to share, please share it in our comment section on the Home page for others to see.
A popular Italian recipe Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIIe8pQHrmWSzs1i5o3r10w
A comedy show about "social experiments": https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYZ3uwiIy1LrwrAywLeQSlQ
An interesting Vlogger who talks about Italy from a foreigner perspective: https://www.youtube.com/user/tiataylormakeup
A comedy troupe that posts many videos about differences between North and South: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7taYIDsseS-WAbdCvHbrIw
Sto Magazine's Channel, the popular video magazine created by Ghali's crew: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0TFalPRyuOWuOgVgm0Lg9Q