The Emerald City is Not So Green Anymore
The arguments for environmentalism can be found on a wide variety of digital spaces. I have found that the controversial issue of environmentalism is able to be approached using different rhetorical strategies that target specific audiences. When researching Project 3, I learned that social media influence and positive encouragement or incentives motivate people to get behind a cause. In today’s technological world, it is nearly impossible to not have a social media presence or some online presence. People react to visuals and when the information is provided within those visual texts. My project idea is going to be a vlog where I can provide a personal influence by showing and proving that living sustainably as a full-time college student is indeed possible.
My primary audience is going to target college students, specifically full-time college students, but other millennials will most likely gain from watching my vlogs as well. My primary claim is that environmentalism and sustainable living is extremely important in our society, now more than ever given the current government political climate. From Trump threatening to pull the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Agreement, to electing Scott Pruitt, an affirmed climate change denier, as the current Administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency, spreading awareness to live more sustainably and care about environmentalism is more timely than ever. We should all strive to take any actions we can for a healthier planet.
Genre Analysis
Vlogs are extremely popular in today’s society. People use them as a way to directly document their lives and interact with their audience or in this case, their followers. Two vloggers I follow are Markiplier, famous for his video game let’s plays, and Joe Santagato, best known for his People of Walmart videos. They are both primarily YouTubers, but each have a vlog channel in addition to their YouTube channel. Below are some examples of their vlogs. *Disclaimer: Profanity is part of their daily language, although Markiplier is more tactful about it than Joe.*
Markiplier’s Vlog playlist:
Joe’s Vlog Channel, Extra Joe: https://www.youtube.com/user/MFAEveryDay
Joe’s vlog channel, like Markiplier’s, provides extra videos that depict outside events from their lives and outtakes from other videos on their main YouTube channels. Joe’s vlogs feature his family just like Markiplier’s feature his friends. Both vloggers also feature their dogs in some of their videos because, as we know, including animals in videos is a strong use of pathos. By showing us they are animal lovers, it makes them seem more likable.
There are some differences to both Markiplier and Joe’s vlogs. Mark’s vlogs are typically longer, averaging between 10-20 minutes whereas Joe’s vlogs are usually shorter, approximately 8-10 minutes. Most of the time, Mark records his vlogs with a professional camera or camcorder and Joe typically uses his phone or other handheld recording equipment that is not as professional looking. Mark pays close attention to the lighting and clarity of his videos which is an area that Joe does not often concern himself with. His YouTube videos are better quality, but his vlogs are not his top priority when it comes to professionalism.
The audience for both YouTubers is very distinct. Markiplier, being a video game let’s player, predominately attracts the gaming community. He does make other videos that anyone can relate to and find entertaining (such as his Markiplier Makes and his Challenge vidoes like the Try Not to Laugh Challenges) but his style is more visually and humorously entertaining than Joe’s. Because Joe uses crude humor, his audience will be more limiting. People who dislike profanity won’t find either of their videos funny, but especially Joe’s videos. Joe is also more brash in his mannerism.
Granted, vlogs do not have to be professional, however. Their choice of recording equipment is similar when they are recording their YouTube videos. I will most likely be filming on my iPhone, but I will make sure that the sound quality is good and that the area is well-lit. My vlogs will have a specific purpose, which is to demonstrate that living sustainably as a full-time college student on campus is possible. Their vlogs are mainly for fun and videos they seem to create in their free time for entertainment. My vlogs will serve as a summary of the sustainable actions that I took during the 2-week period of my project. I hope to show a few snapshots of what I do to stay as sustainable as possible will both motivate and inspire others to follow my example. The purpose of my vlog is not to entertain (although perhaps some parts might be entertaining) so it will be more informational. My audience will primarily be those in my class, but outside the class, I imagine other millennials and specifically college students would watch this video as it applies to them.
Plan of Action
- Design: The design of my project is going to rely heavily on pairing video with photos and text. I think using a genre like a vlog will allow me to interact and connect more personally with my viewers and it will provide a close-up look into my lifestyle on campus. The photos will be arranged in a gallery format organized by day and then the vlog will be the wrap-up of the two weeks. The vlogs, in a sense will act as the reflection for the whole thing, and I will also include a written reflection as well. In clearer terms, I will have links to two blog posts, Week 1 and Week 2. On the Week 1 page, I’ll include the photo gallery for each day, with the vlog at the end. I will do the same thing for the Week 2 page.
- Center of Gravity: The audience for my vlog is a public digital audience and I believe that it will be the best mode to convey my message because it will reach a wide variety of audiences and it is accessible to those with either visual or hearing impairments. I think people will find it interesting and engaging to watch my progress and to be able to see the person who is undertaking this course of action. I typically find people who wish to convey a message more credible when I can see who they are, hear their voice, and observe body language, etc.
- Research Plan: Any additional research I will be doing for this project is primarily fact checking. I do want to incorporate some hard facts and evidence about climate change and environmentalism in our current political world, but I will not be making the hard facts my focus. Instead, I wish to both motivate and inspire others to follow my lead. I am satisfied with doing my recording on my phone, but I still want to make it as professional as possible. From my previous research, I will briefly explain how bigger companies and celebrities contribute to the cause, but then make the daunting task of living sustainably on campus more relatable by showing that I can do it.
Read By the Sun, Write By the Moon 