Uploaded 11 years ago, “How to Tie a Tie – Full Windsor Knot”, has amassed over 85 million views on YouTube. The instructive video provides a succinct and easy-to-understand demonstration of how to execute the perfect Windsor — the most prestigious of knots.
In a little less than six minutes, the tutorial guides viewers through the various stages of the knot’s construction, showcasing how and when (at various points) the blade of the tie should be threaded inward, crossed over the tail, and passed under the intersection.
As technical and niche anyone with an aversion to ties, suits or wide collar shirts might find such content, the tutorial has proven (and remains) more popular than some of the most lavishly produced music videos made over the course of the last decade.
The success of the Windsor tutorial speaks to YouTube’s appeal as a learning tool — the site growing to become the go-to online destination for digitally literate learners. Once largely frequented by visitors scouring the net for the latest movie trailers or sketch comedy clips, much of the platform’s traffic is now generated by viewers on the lookout for videos that impart some form of real-world wisdom — learnings that can be put into practice.
As a matter of fact, Google reports that “how to” content ranks among YouTube’s top four categories; the educational nature of these videos ranging from the quirky to the esoteric, the humorous to the enterprising. Today, creators and channels produce a diversity of content, delivering post-grad quality seminars on how to shuffle a deck of cards, build computers and knit. As most digital natives would argue: if it’s worth learning, it’s being taught on YouTube.
While viewers still trawl the platform for cat videos, TV recaps and reviews, more users — most notably in the wake of COVID-19 — visit the site in search of peace of mind. Unsurprisingly, at a time when people and communities are still reeling from the effects of lockdowns and economic downturns, more of a focus is being fixed on mental health, especially online.
This is understandable: according to the World Economic Forum, “more than 264 million people of all ages suffer from depression”. It is no wonder, then, that “wellness” and “self-care” have become more prevalent in daily lexicon; this pervasiveness translating to the net and spaces such as YouTube.
What we are witnessing is an uptick in the amount of online content geared towards equipping listeners and viewers with the tools to safeguard their mental health. Intriguingly, as far as YouTube is concerned, some of the most viewed of these videos are ostensibly targeted at men. This marks an interesting, if not welcome, change of pace; the awareness of and attitudes to men’s mental health lagging for years. Whether owing to the effects of the pandemic, younger generations being less inclined to adhere to archaic gender norms, or an increased willingness to reckon with generational trauma, male mental illness is suddenly taking centre stage, with YouTube supplying the spotlight.
Almost daily, content curated to help men tend to their mental wellbeing is uploaded and shared on the site. Having garnered a total of 2.6 million views and 17,000 subscribers, MeditaCine is a relatively new YouTube channel that takes a refreshingly novel approach to wellness.
It specialises in creating hour-long (sometimes more) videos that feature beautifully affirming pieces of music for listeners to meditate to. Each video is inspired by the score of an acclaimed film, TV show or video game, evoking the spirit, feel and emotiveness of an iconic scene, dramatic exchange or affecting line of dialogue. Like the brooding cues of Hans Zimmer’s Batman compositions, “Meditating with Bruce Wayne in The Dark Knight” strikes a calming range of stoic notes, creating a soothing and ambient atmosphere for listeners to attain a sense of stillness and peace.
Entertainment value aside, these videos use classically “male” pop culture icons to provide engaging points of reference for men. Men resistant to the mere idea of assuming a full lotus position and meditating. In doing so, they perform an important service: acquainting more of these men with the benefits of meditation, including — as Headspace outlines — improved focus, clarity and compassion.
Positive affirmations have been shown to be just as beneficial, and — accordingly — a number of YouTubers have taken to producing daily affirmations videos. There is a surprising versatility to this content.
History and philosophy buffs, for example, can choose from a selection of Epictetus, Sun Tzu and Seneca recitations to recalibrate their thinking patterns for the better. Sports fans, on the other hand, can channel their inner champion with affirmations for athletes. Aspiring super spies can even take a James Bond-themed approach to mindfulness by repeating positive phrases inspired by Ian Fleming’s famous character.
That these videos have gained such traction with subscribers and repeat viewers comes as no surprise. YouTube’s appeal is largely built on accessibility. Anyone with a decent internet connection can visit the site and edutain themselves for hours on end, doing so to their heart’s content.
This is a decidedly important point. Users are able to watch any video of their choosing at their pace and convenience — all at no charge. Considering the average therapy session costs between $100 and $200 in the US, and an appointment with a UAE-based psychologist can set you back up to Dh850, this provides viewers with a much more affordable alternative to private treatment.
Additionally, as videos that can be paused, shared, rewatched and downloaded, YouTube’s mental health content is digestible, easy to navigate and even portable. With the platform, mindfulness is as accessible as a Spotify playlist or Netflix series.
However, for all the good YouTube does with regards to mental health, the website — like much of the internet — remains a minefield of misinformation. This presents significant concerns, posing serious and potentially harmful threats to vulnerable viewers.
First and foremost, there is the question of gatekeeping. While YouTube democratises mental health treatment to some extent, the site’s lack of barriers to entry enables creators with little to no qualifications to publish unvetted content of spurious and even dangerous quality.
Furthermore, the platform has become fertile ground for content creators eager to plant the seeds of a more insular view of masculinity. This could be seen with the sheer number of videos inveighing against the “weaknesses” of “emotional” men — men that fall short of the alpha standards set by brawnier, less emotionally attuned tough guys. These videos are very much adjacent to seduction science content, espousing the single-minded and unthinking brashness of pickup artists.
Whether priming viewers to super charge their sex appeal or better themselves by sculpting the perfect six-pack, these channels appear completely uninterested in encouraging their audiences to practice positive mental health coping mechanisms. Conversely, YouTube’s growing stable of self-help gurus seem incapable of instructing viewers to learn these skills.
As many skeptics and observers argue (the majority being clinical psychologists or former gurus themselves, tellingly), these coaches employ superficial tactics that provide nothing more than a placebo effect — as opposed to the long-lasting gains of, say, cognitive behavioural therapy.
This calls for a more nuanced and vigilant approach to curating YouTube content. While notorious among its community of creators for acrimoniously demonitising and taking down painstakingly put together videos, YouTube still has a long way to go to emulating the steps taken by Twitter in recent years. The social media giant has demonstrated a welcome degree of accountability and transparency in applying disclaimers and advisory warnings to posts publicising information (I.e., “fake news”) of dubious, controversial or offensive veracity. Though music, fair use and copyright disclaimers are commonplace on YouTube, the platform would do well to establish a specific statement or repudiatory claim for health-focused content.
This bears consideration — anything less would be disappointing; especially for an entity that prides itself on its Community Standards and is vocal about its commitment to promoting digital wellbeing and combatting false information.
That said, the open video platform is still due its fair share of credit for contributing to wider conversations about mental health, particularly as it pertains to men. With Movember — the non-profit organisation — estimating that “every minute, somewhere in the world, a man takes his own life”, the mere fact YouTube provides a respectable space for men to contend with such serious and personal issues in ways they find comforting and relatable is to be commended.
More of this is needed. In a post-COVID world lined with easily triggered mental health tripwires, a well put together playlist of relaxing binaural beats and isochronic tones might just help a few more men on the brink of a breakdown regain their footing and rediscover their sense of direction; one step — one video — at a time.