Facebook live streaming gains popularity

Senior Alex Yagobi has been one of the first SHS students to dive into the new realm of live streaming, a feature introduced on Facebook in April.

In it, users share live video content, while friends can view and comment in real time. Yagobi was introduced to live streaming when he stumbled upon a live stream hosted by rapper A$AP Ferg on his Facebook news feed. He was drawn to the live video’s humor and entertainment and decided to try it out himself.

While working his Sunday shift at McDonald’s, Yagobi often found himself “bored” during his breaks and began to document himself and friends humorously reviewing McDonald’s food items. Yagobi soon became notorious for his frequent live streams, and some attracted up to 735 viewers. Since these live streams occur during his breaks at work, he is allowed to do so with no repercussions.

“The aspect that the stream is in real time gives it the appeal,” Yagobi said. “They feel as if they are actually there. It has been a really interesting way to just share my experiences and thoughts with the  world.”

Yagobi’s compelling live streams have inspired senior Bryant Chang to post his own. His first live stream took place at BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse following Band Senior Night on a whim, and soon the video “blew up” among his Facebook friends.

In addition, senior William Chen used live streaming to document the behind-the-scenes of school activities. During Homecoming move-in weekend, Chen recorded the seniors setting up decorations in an effort to increase participation during move in and found live streaming to be “a great way to tell the world what’s on your mind.”

The live aspect of the video streams encourages students to share their honest opinions, while also invoking instant discussion through the comment section.

This is why many celebrities, including professional  athletes, have been live streaming to reach out to and interact with their fans.

During the NBA playoffs, former Golden State Warriors forward Harrison Barnes conducted a public Q&A through Facebook live stream. Senior Gautham Arunkumar through the comment feature was even able to get his question answered by Barnes publically.

However, with the rise of live streaming,  sharing on social media has become more instant and constant, since when a Facebook user posts a live stream, a notification is sent all his or her friends. The flood of updates have left some users such as senior Shoumil Sarkar irritated.

“Honestly, live streams were funny the first time, but now I keep getting notifications and it’s kind of annoying,” Sarkar said. “I would rather see some new sources of humor that are not so bland or overused.”

Fortunately for Sarkar, many students are finding new ways to use live streaming. Rather than just using it as a humorous tool, senior Nathan Ching live streamed from New York to show his Facebook friends what he was doing on his trip with the Media Arts Program.

“I wanted to update family, friends, and other MAP students about how we were doing in New York,” Ching said.

Facebook live streaming has also allowed some users to share some controversial videos with the public. For example, the medium gained widespread attention in July when a woman recorded the death of her boyfriend, Philando Castile, after he was shot by the police in Minnesota, claiming, as she told the media, to “want it to go viral so people could determine themselves as to what was right and what was wrong.”

Despite the occasional controversial or graphic or graphic live stream, a majority of live streams have been humorous and lighthearted. With the many uses of Facebook live streaming, from entertainment to Q&As, students are enjoying the benefits of this technology.

“It’s really way to see what my friends are doing,” Arunkumar said. “I think live streaming is one of the best things Facebook has done.”