Narrator: Why study alone, when you can study
with a bunch of strangers from all over the world?
This is gongbang, which translates
to "study broadcast" in Korean.
In Japan, it's known as benkyou douga,
and in the US and other parts of the world,
it's simply called "study with me."
It's a type of video in which people prepare for an exam
on camera, while other people watch and study as well.
This might not sound like riveting entertainment,
but these videos are racking up
millions of views on YouTube.
So why are they so popular?
And is this just the latest example of lazy
content creation, or is there something more going on here?
Narrator: This YouTuber goes
by the name "The Man Sitting Next to Me."
He prefers to remain anonymous.
He lives in Korea and is studying to be a tax accountant.
He livestreams himself studying for hours at a time
and has over 20 thousand subscribers on his channel.
His videos show him simply sitting at a desk
taking notes or looking at a book.
Jamie Lee: You're studying for a long time whether it's
for high school, college, or a professional degree.
It can be really lonely, and it's always helpful
to have sort of a study buddy.
Narrator: This is Jamie.
She lives in New York and runs
a YouTube channel called "The Strive to Fit."
She started her channel when she was
in medical school and continues
to film herself studying while in residency.
Unlike The Man Sitting Next to Me,
Jamie's "study with me" videos are prerecorded.
Her videos range from around 20 minutes
to two-and-a-half hours in length,
and some have over two million views.
She offers videos with music and some
with the natural sounds of the pencil
on paper as a sort of ASMR.
Jamie: I try to cater to different types of audiences.
It'll just be kind of the natural sound of like,
pen and paper or book sounds and things like that.
Narrator: With a quick YouTube search,
you can find all sorts of different people
and types of study videos to choose from.
This study video trend is a lot like mukbang,
which has become more popular in recent years.
It involves people eating food,
often a whole lot of it, on camera.
Looking at what's on YouTube these days,
like ASMR, mukbang, and reaction videos,
it would seem like you don't need
a whole lot of special skills to be a success.
But gongbang serves a real purpose, helping people focus.
Or at least that's what the content creator
and the fans are saying.
While it may seem distracting to watch YouTube
while doing your work, they say it actually
is a helpful way to avoid distractions.
Narrator: And based on some of the comments,
this method seems to be working.
"I'm an engineering student, a week ago I wasn't motivated
at all, then I found your channel.
Thank you for saving me."
"I feel more concentrated on my exam preparation.
Thank you Jamie for your video.
It's actually very nice and helpful."
Jamie: It really helps them focus, because every time
they're tempted to do something on their phone
or go somewhere on their website,
they kinda look up and see that I'm still studying
on the screen, so it kind of motivates them
to keep studying and stay focused
on what they're supposed to be doing.
Narrator: And while they do make money off the videos
with YouTube ads, they say viral fame
and fortune isn't why they're doing it.
Keep in mind, these YouTubers are studying
for careers outside of YouTube,
like tax accountants and doctors.
They say they're only using YouTube
as a means to an end, that isn't becoming
the next Logan Paul or Jenna Marbles.
The Man Sitting Next to Me says
he even uses the money that he earns
to give back to his community,
charities, and nursing homes.
You can find him on his channel interacting
with his viewers, giving out gift cards
for things like coffee and books to help study.
Narrator: His followers will often stick
with him until they complete their exam
and share his channel with friends.
Narrator: But what happens
when the tests are over for these YouTubers?
What can their followers expect?
Both Jamie and The Man Sitting Next to Me
say they plan to keep filming themselves
but perhaps with different content related to their careers.
Narrator: No matter why you watch or when you watch,
it all comes down to one thing:
making sure you do the work and pass that test.