ABSTRACT
In Chapter 9, the possibility of using social media – particularly YouTube – to improve understanding between gun owners and gun control supporters is considered. Social media provide a window into the world and mindset of The Other, sometimes facilitating an illusion of intimacy. Viewers of videos made by YouTubers, particularly those who make multiple videos, may feel like they know the YouTuber even if they have never met in real life. The viewer may have a sense of connectedness to the YouTuber, maybe an attachment to favorite videos that they watch regularly. These processes could be employed to help bridge the gap between individuals on opposite sides of the gun control debate, via what I am calling the 100 YouTube Video Challenge. For people willing to talk less, watch and listen more and consider what guns mean to the Other in the context of how the Other lives, it could facilitate more open-mindedness and empathy. That would be a good point at which to begin a discussion on how guns fit into American life.
