skanon_atec2321: Make your Life Easier with Hacks off Youtube

Want to feel smarter than the average bear? The CrazyRussianHacker youtube channel gives you practical ways to use everyday objects to make your life a little simpler. Get a whole new perspective on everything from recharging your phone with a gum wrapper, to a better way of getting chips out of the bag. What's his channel about? How is it different from mainstream? Why do I like it & what do I think made it successful? Read on to find out & check out of a few of my favorite videos at the end of this blog.

1. Clips are about “life-hacks” and practical ways to re-purpose household items to do more useful things. 28 year old Russian videoblogger, Taras Kulakov (he actually lives in Asheville, NC but he was born and raised in the U.S.S.R.), teaches DIY ways to feel more like MacGyver in simple terms.

2. This youtuber’s content is different from mainstream content because it has low production values and is shot in the person’s home. It doesn’t use background music and has minimal graphics compared to other channels. There is typically only one camera setup and he normally is both cast & crew with no helpers.

3. I like this channel because unlike many mainstream channels, it focuses on egalitarian usefulness that the “everyman” can DIY, instead of focusing on conspicuous consumption such as channels focusing on makeup tips, product “hauls” and endless walk-throughs of the newest video game releases. CrazyRussianHacker has likely appeal for a broader geographic group of viewers. I would rather spend time watching a DIY channel than other more superficial topics.

4. Factors that contributed to this youtuber’s over 5 million subscribers include: personality, intelligence, and viewer calls-to-action. He makes requests every so many episodes that encourage the viewer to subscribe, comment on specific parts of the video, and to give a thumbs-up when a project blows your mind and can be seen succeeding. I do not believe this guy would have been given a chance on mainstream media. Casting directors look for superficial over substance. In his Q&A video, he says the key to having so many subscribers has been practice, money on lighting and technology to make the videos with, and he “just loves science.”

10 DIY hacks for Back-to-School: