Since it was created, YouTube has become one of the most widely used websites by college students. It is used for reasons ranging from checking out the latest Lady Gaga video to posting videos made for class.

For almost six years, students have been logging on to YouTube to check out the latest music videos and parodies or post their own videos. Jack Chen, sophomore in Media, edits and posts his own music videos to YouTube with two other University students. One video, “One Republic-Secrets,” was shot in front of the Krannert Music Center, Siebel Center, Grainger, FAR and around Beckman.

“Video is becoming so huge in the digital world, you can literally record something and put it on the net in less than 30 minutes and get crazy traffic,” Chen said.

He said he uses his videos to show the world how simple ideas can evolve into a grand vision that can be shared with others.

This information being shared can be both entertaining and educational. University students not only use YouTube to browse videos, but also to learn.

Robert Baird, Media and Cinema Studies professor, uses YouTube videos when teaching his Film and New Media class.

“I look at YouTube because it is an example of very successful social media,” Baird said. “A lot of the content on YouTube is cinema-like. Besides trailers of movies, there are a lot of interesting parodies, student documentaries and student productions.”

Baird encourages his students to post on YouTube because it is a convenient and easy way to get student content out there, he said. His class draws students from across campus and requires them to work in groups on creating new media that explores the ideas of the course.

Erika Nelson, sophomore in AHS, said that some of her classes reference YouTube videos in every lecture.

“The videos show examples of what we are learning and I think that seeing them and showing clips helps us understand the material better. It also gives us references to remember when studying,” Nelson said.

Students also use YouTube as a learning tool outside the classroom.

“I use YouTube for everything,” Chen said. “I use it for school sometimes when I’m not satisfied with my professor’s lecture style, so I would go on and search the academic topic which has tons of free stuff.”

YouTube has made it easier for students to browse educational material with YouTube EDU. This website is a collection of “Videos and Channels from college and university partners of YouTube,” according to YouTube. The university and college content is organized by school, but University of Illinois has yet to be added.

Baird, who also works with CITES, mentioned that many campuses have developed a YouTube-like system for their own campus. These systems have media in the videos that is more closely related to home, while being more of an institutional tool. Baird said CITES is looking into something like this, with no specific plans.

Whether it is as a learning tool or procrastination, students continue to use YouTube daily.