For almost a decade now, YouTube has allowed people to share music, ideas, and knowledge. Among members of the Stevenson community, there are also many who choose to use the site as a creative outlet.

“It’s a great way to get yourself out there and express whatever it may be that you want to,” Leah Varughis ’16 said. Varughis uploads covers of popular songs on her self titled account.

The experience has allowed her to go out of her comfort zone, and communicate in a manner she wouldn’t have otherwise been able to do, Varughis said.

The Stevenson administration regards the idea of students posting these videos online positively, seeing social media as an opportunity to learn and stay up to date with the modern world, Doug Kahler, Director of Administration Services, said.

“The internet and social media are tools of education, and we want to be on the forefront to help kids make positive choices, which is important given how frequently technology is used in our daily lives,” Kahler said.

Many YouTubers originally started their accounts solely out of boredom, but chose to continue with them because of the positive feedback received, Chelsea Shang ’15 said. Shang uploads nail art tutorials to her account rubikscube907.

It took a while for her to receive a significant viewership, but the feedback was much appreciated, Shang said.

Shang and Varughis both iterated that while the occasional hateful comment was posted, most of the responses they’ve received so far have been very positive.

“YouTube has allowed me to share a part of myself that a lot of people didn’t know existed,” Varughis said.  “I think that makes it a very powerful tool for a lot of people.”