Kids teaching tricks on youtube is not a bad thing as it gets more people interested in magic and all the wonderful things it has to offer...
Hey domentalism,
Keep in mind that we've got the weigh the pros and cons whenever something like this is an issue:
I think the core tenets of the arguments against YouTube teaching are based around a few key points:
- Originality: if kids are teaching something that hardworking magicians are marketing as paid products, this is illicit, diverting revenue they would have gotten rightfully away from the creators.
- Skill Level: while tied into originality, I think this deserves its own category. The kids teaching these effects are not the creators. Thus, I believe we can say with a high degree of certainty that their teaching is severely lacking when compared to the original. I don't believe a subpar reveal helps the art in any form; new magicians who chance upon these would undoubtedly get the wrong idea.
- Exposure: magic has traditionally been a cloistered art, with secrets cherished and valued. The open realms of YouTube make it easy for anyone to access the aforementioned reveals, with minimal effort on their part. In doing so, not only do we risk spectators already in the know, but we also deprive those wanting to learn a legitimate and worthy source for magic instruction.
While true that YouTube may be a gateway to getting people "into magic", I don't believe it is worth the issues stated above. Additionally, the videos advocating proper learning mediums are far and few between. Should someone begin to learn from YouTube, it'll probably become a mainstay when they search for new material, further exacerbating the originality, skill, and exposure issues I detail above