I.

My go-to is English scripted drama series, as well as documentaries. I always prefer series to films. If I run out of drama series to watch, I would sooner watch reality TV programmes than movies, unless the algorithm features something I might be in the mood for on that day. Episodic content is my staple diet and films are occasional alternate cuisine options. 

I am not a huge fan of reality TV. Docu-reality series still fall within my staple diet, but unscripted reality TV shows are an option I generally choose only because I've run out of scripted shows or documentaries to watch. When reality TV first came onto the scene, I didn't ride the wave as the new millenial flood of reality TV shows populated our TV channels. I did enjoy some prominent competition-based ones, like Drag Race and ANTM, but I didn't see the appeal of dramatic unscripted series like Keeping up with the Kardashians. 

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II.

I'm thinking about why viewers become fans of these dramatic reality TV shows in this moment, because I somehow found myself doing a mental compare and contrast of this genre of content dagainst user-generated vlogs and livestream media. I have always been puzzled by the allure of watching somebody talk on screen continuously, whether it be user reviews of consumer goods or vlogs about specific hobbies and interests. I am even more baffled by those livestream channels that don't really have a specific topic or theme but merely feature a creator's everyday life. Why would one want to listen to one person tak about their point of view for minutes on end? 

It is because I have yet to crack the code to this puzzle, that explains why I haven't added really expanded avalon's online repertoire of digital creations to include video content. This is why I still only create and post written word content via this blog. On social media platforms, I only add the occasional image or video as a form of interaction and communication, not in the form of curated multimedia content. Even so, I don't feel much at ease trying to convey a message by talking in front of the camera — I would much rather say the same thing by typing it out. It probably comes back to my inability to understand why anyone would want to watch and listen to an online user that has recorded or is livestreaming themselves talking on a video. I don't watch such videos myself for the very same reason. If I cannot understand the psychology of the consumer, I cannot be an effective content producer. 

If I were to consider slideshow-style or webinar-type video creations, the amount of work such content requires of me is a huge barrier because it takes up so much more time than typing or talking, and I admit I have many unfinished video projects because of this barrier. It is not my forte, so it takes up too much time. 

However, I think today I gained some understanding at last about the allure of user-generated narration-style videos, because I found its parallel unscripted reality TV series. Specifically: those featuring human relationships and interactions. Exploring why I enjoy – moderately –  the occasional unscripted drama series helps me begin to comprehend why online users enjoy watching other online users talk in front of a camera. This might finally lead me to create and curate video content to avalon's online brand, so that I may become a creator of some measure beyond a blogger hawking merely the written word. 

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III.

worlds upon words