Justin.tv: Just what we need?
I spend an increasing amount of time "connecting" with people via my computer and BlackBerry. I’m not just talking emails. I’m talking texts, IMs, wall posts, Facebook and MySpace messages, pokes, "news" feeds, and of course the constant monitoring of Facebook and MySpace pages. It’s almost as if the less I actually talk to people, the more time I have to gather everything I need to know about them.
For this reason, Justin.tv comes just in time. In the same vein as the classic Internet institution JenniCam, and in the long-awaited true realization of the McConaughey/Elfman cinematic masterpiece EDtv, Justin.tv gives viewers a 24-hour streaming video and audio glimpse into the life of 23-year-old Justin Kan, a Yale graduate living in San Francisco. With a camera and mic strapped somewhat conspicuously to his head, Justin lives the normal life of a 23-year-old – going on dates, hanging around the city (at pre-announced locations) and trying to get this whole head-cam idea up and running. The camera goes everywhere and hears everything, even in the bathroom.
Sound a little too intrusive? Of course it does. Going to stop watching once you tune into something interesting? Of course you won’t. If I see that Justin’s got a date tomorrow at 8pm and I happen to be surfing the net at that time, I’m going to tune in. There’s something inherently appealing about glimpsing someone else’s personal life. I wouldn’t consider myself a full-on stalker, but in this day and age, there really is a little stalker in everybody. Look no further than the popularity of reality TV. And who hasn’t at least Googled someone’s name to gather a back story? (Please tell me I’m not alone on that one.)
And so now this is the next step. It’s already becoming somewhat boring to merely scan someone’s list of interests and a few random photos from "the best night ever omg!!!" In an Internet world increasingly filled with video content, it’s high time social networking jumped on the bandwagon. It looks like Justin Kan is making that jump. Now let the marketing dollars flow.
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