Young, Black, and ***Insert who you are here***
by Angela
During an interesting conversation today the topic of “Young, Black, and…” sites came up and how many of these sites do we really need? How minute can it be before it becomes irrelevant, or does relevancy of a site with Black in its name ever die simply because of the niche nature of the internet today? A simpler and more direct question may be “How many of these sites will be developed before it gets old?” Maybe it never gets old since web users are in general younger in age, or a completely different and possibly more accurate take on it:
Maybe these “Young, Black, and ….” sites accurately represent who the typical Black web user is more so than any study or survey produced. Think about it…those who consume these websites and those that produce them probably spend a higher amount of time on the internet. They are engaged and why wouldn’t they be, they are “Young, Black, and Whatever site they are on at the time.” They are likely loyal and I would bet have a higher overall HHI (Household Income) than average Blacks in general. Of course the nitty gritty of the demographics would depend on the site and truthfully we could speculate the demographics all day. What I really want to know about and I think what is most interesting is this “YB…” phenomenon.
What do you think:
Do we need more “YB…” sites?
Is this something that is already old? or…
Do “YB…” sites reflect who we really are online and offline?
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MrAfrica says:
To be honest I’m lost… Break it down… Are you talking about sites for young educated blacks looking and desiring the finer things in life? A steping stone to being called Bougie or something?
TomBoutus Magazine says:
I think the “Young, Black, and…” sites are being created to fill a void left by the media. With the sites that I know of the … is usually something positive or at least neutral. At the end of the day most of these sites are aimed at the young,black and educated. We are the part of the culture that the world does not know. We are the middle child, the media shows blacks as either old civil rights leaders, young thugs or square sellouts. To be honest I think that these sites are needed and should be promoted until the world and our even younger generations (currently in high school and middle school) realize that you can like Lil Wayne AND be a doctor,lawyer or engineer.
Angela says:
@MrAfrica, That is not at all what I mean. Honestly I am wondering what the readers of BW2.0 think about these sites and if they think they actually reflect who the average African-American web user is? TomBoutus put it very well, likening “us” to the middle child in a family.
@TomBoutus, Very interestingly and eloquently put “We are the middle child, the media shows blacks as either old civil rights leaders, young thugs or square sellouts.” I know when I was growing up I didn’t know or know of any “hip” lawyers, doctors, ect. Though there may have been many that is not the social status I associated those people with.
MrAfrica says:
Ok then Angela… Big sista is a lawyer…
AroundHarlem.com says:
The sites are due to a major void in the media that does not connect with this demographic.
Also, they are not just Young, Black (…..) many of the readers are older (the Young Black (…..) + 10-15 years.
8thlight says:
I don’t think there can ever be enough of them, actually. Especially since many of them will die off as time goes on with the attention span of people today.
They definitely fill a huge gap when it comes to the images and opinions of us in the media.
MrMecca says:
the thing about most black entertainment blogs is that there are way too many of them. There will be shake-out at some point as interest wanes from the people behind them.
The readers though — i agree are all across the board — my 57 year old mom is a big fan of a couple of them
Iceman Baldy says:
I’ve been online for a while and I happened to discover this site today; I wish I’d seen it earlier but I’m glad I found it. Regarding Angela’s question, here’s my take:
I like some of the sites but they vary in their depth and the commitment of the individual(s) behind them. Some of very good while others won’t be around long given the nature of their content and their lack of focus.
A couple of examples that I see in a quick Google search (I have no stake or involvement with either of them):
1) Young, Black and Fabulous has done a great job of garnering search engine attention and taking a lead on the gossip column theme but I find this type of site only appeals to those who use the internet primarily for entertainment. Many of us who are running online businesses just don’t have the time to keep up with the latest celebrity sightings.
2) Young Black Starz is a great effort in showcasing our talented up and comers while providing a fairly active community experience.
The “Young, Black, and …” theme runs through a lot of website content but there seem to be few sites strictly dedicated to a specific view of the theme. Sadly, when you check domain names that begin with “youngblackand”, most are reserved by cyber squatters who have seen the trend as an opportunity to capitalize and thereby preventing legitimate use unless you’re willing to purchase the domain.
There’s certainly a need for sites that cater to the African-American/Black demographic and niche. Whether youngblack (which I agree are often visited by those of us who are not so young but who identify with their themes) or something else, the key going forward is to focus on more than just being black and to further narrow your niche in order to be relevant to an audience of black internet users who are becoming more discriminating in our online content choices.
There’s plenty of opportunity remaining for great sites by black internet website authors and social network builders who can focus on where we have keen interests in connecting, sharing and learning from one another.