By SWNS Staff // SWNS
NEWS COPY w/ VIDEO & INFOGRAPHIC
Americans now consult ‘How To’ videos to learn something new, with top life 'hack' search terms including how to play the guitar, edit photos and stain removal.
A study of 2,000 adults found 82 per cent prefer to use online tutorials to perfect a new skill, because they can revisit the instructions time and time again.
Most frequently used ‘how to’ videos include how to put in contact lenses, tone various body parts, get further on a computer game, and shave for the first time.
While others want to watch videos which tell you how to learn French, type, bake cookies, apply gel nails, and poach an egg.
Alex Smyrliadi, Content Manager for Vision Direct, which carried out the research said: “We all spend a lot of time online these days and our attention spans are getting shorter and shorter. Everyone welcomes human interaction, but it can be hard to learn something new when someone explains it just once. Video content can be replayed whenever, wherever making the information a lot easier to digest. It’s almost second-nature to us as a format, as we’re all used to engaging with it through social media already. Plus, getting expert advice in person can be difficult or even impossible sometimes, so How-To videos make sharpening skills accessible to a lot more people.”
Other popular ‘How To’ videos include getting gum out of clothing, losing weight fast and packing a suitcase.
Those keen on learning DIY skills have watched videos to teach themselves how to put shelves up, wire a plug and fix the dishwasher or washing machine.
While adults who want to take control of their looks have used tutorials to learn how to apply make-up, mix up a face mask, and do a French plait.
Understandably, two thirds of US adults rely on technology first and foremost if they want to learn anything new, and more than half would rather turn to Google or YouTube for this than ask a person to help or train them.
Three quarters also class themselves as ‘visual learners’, finding it easier to remember instructions if they can see them expressed by someone else.
But once seeing someone do a demonstration, regardless of whether this is in person or on video, more than four in 10 adults would be too embarrassed to ask for any further help.
More than half of adults enjoy watching tutorials in the comfort of their own home, and three in 10 like the fact no-one can see them making mistakes.
Another 37 per cent like that videos are easier to digest than other methods of learning.
More than four in 10 adults will use ‘How To’ videos for help with the health or wellbeing, and a further 37 per cent will consult them for personal grooming.
In response to these survey findings, Vision Direct have launched a series of How To put in contact lenses videos, so those with a prescription can get additional online help when learning at home (https://www.visiondirect.co.uk/contact-lenses/how-to-put-in-contact-lenses)
Smyrliadi added: “As with anything you learn yourself, just because you’re taught it in person doesn’t mean you immediately pick it up and can then do that task perfectly first time around. We know the old adage ‘practice makes perfect’ stands true, and that to learn anything well, whether that’s putting in contact lenses, doing a bit of DIY or poaching an egg, you need to do that thing more than once. And not everyone learns in the same way, so it is important to acknowledge that a method that works for one person, may not work so well for another. That’s why we put together multiple ways to put in contact lenses with different users in mind - for example, those with long nails may need a different approach. Learning isn’t a one-size-fits-all process and there’s something for every different contact lens wearer in our How To video series.”
TOP 50 HOW TO VIDEOS
- How to get stains out of clothing
- How to make a face mask
- How to workout properly/tone specific body parts
- How to do things on computer games e.g. find rare stuff, beat people etc
- Makeup tutorials
- How to use software
- How to bake a cake
- How to photoshop a picture
- How to bake cookies
- How to set up broadband/Wi-Fi
- How to lose weight fast
- How to get past a hard bit of a videogame
- Play guitar
- How to curl hair
- How to fix a washing machine
- How best to pack a suitcase
- How to reduce swelling
- How to play songs on the guitar
- How to French braid
- How to fold a sheet
- How to remove gum from clothing
- How to train a puppy
- How to draw
- How to tie a tie / bowtie
- How to floss / dance
- Learning musical chords
- How to make pancakes
- The perfect way to poach an egg
- How to build a planter
- How to fix a dishwasher
- How to treat a burn
- How to make slime
- How to fold a shirt
- How to remove a tick
- How to put shelves up
- How to cut a man’s hair with clippers
- How to knit
- How to solve a Rubik’s cube
- How to type
- How to remove gel nails at home
- How to change a flat bicycle tire
- How to apply gel / shellac nails
- How to speak French
- How to put a picture up
- How to build your own shed
- How to make a pinata cake
- How to get a baby to sleep
- Soccer skills
- How to shave for the first time
- Wire a plug
