Susan Boyle... no relation

I'll admit, I saw the Susan Boyle video pretty early on. With Facebook, Twitter and away messages, it's easier for those of us of a younger age group to share things and encourage others to take a look.

I knew the Susan Boyle video had gone crazy when my dad sent the family an email with a link to the YouTube video. It didn't take long for the video to get over 7 million hits, which I'm sure will keep growing. Susan Boyle has appeared on Larry King Live, various innocuous morning news programs, and even on E!.

Not only was Susan Boyle famous for her voice, but she gained notoriety for her somewhat frumpy appearance and quirky personality. As Carlos Mencia cynically but somewhat correctly remarked, if Susan Boyle were beautiful, she would have been discovered years ago.

Maybe the rest of the world was a little late in catching on to Susan Boyle, but we did. The ability to share these uplifting moments almost exactly as they happen has made her a superstar. For most of us, YouTube is just a place to watch funny videos to waste time browsing. But for someone like Susan Boyle, YouTube changed her life. This definitely wouldn't have happened 10 or even 5 years ago.