📘 Part 3: Online videos and learning

This episode's vocabulary

To cater to (phrasal verb) -to provide what is wanted or needed by (someone or something).

Country-specific (adj.) - used to describe a product or service that is designed for a particular country, rather than for many countries.

Ubiquitous (adj.) - present, appearing, or found everywhere.

Adaptable (adj.) - able to adjust to new conditions.

Frivolous (adj.) - not having any serious purpose or value.

Attention span (noun) - the length of time for which a person is able to concentrate on a particular activity or subject.

Pace (noun) - speed in walking, running, or moving.

Readily (adverb) - quickly, immediately, willingly, or without any problem.

Electoral (adj.) - relating to an election.

To supplant (verb) - supersede and replace.

To opt (verb) - to make a choice.

In-person (adj.) - in one's bodily presence.

Questions and Answers

M: What kinds of videos are most popular in your country?

R: I'm not sure, to be honest, though, I imagine the ones that cater to people's interest or catch their eyes somehow, like those by their favourite YouTubers, or focused on a hobby or focus they have, like exam preparation. I honestly can't think of anything country-specific, though.

M: Why might many people watch online videos a lot?

R: Well, the internet is pretty ubiquitous these days, and you can get access to just about any kind of content you can imagine. And when you add that to how adaptable these things are with subtitles and other AI features, it's not hard to see why they might want to watch them, like very often.

M: Do you think people spend too much time watching short videos?

R: I mean, who decides how much time is too much? And surely the idea of short videos is that they save time. So I'm not so sure about that. Maybe they could waste time watching something frivolous when they could be doing something else, but that seems unlikely. I doubt anything needs to be done that badly.

M: Why are so many young people obsessed with short videos?

R: Well, young people tend to have shorter attention spans, and short videos cater effectively to that. And the range is wider, since you can cover more things in shorter time, and they're more easily made and could cover just about anything.

M: What are the advantages of online learning?

R: Well, generally, it's easier to access if you have a decent internet connection, and you can personalize it in terms of pace and investment more readily. At least more readily than if you were in a shared space with other people, like electoral.

M: Do you think online learning will replace face-to-face learning?

R: Well, it probably won't supplant it entirely, since the reasons people might opt for in-person classes are pretty strong. But assuming Internet access continues expanding and the market for education keeps growing, it seems likely that it will reach a greater number of people in comparison to the alternative.