Putting your life out onto the internet, the increasingly popular career path many millennials are choosing to follow. The most common platform to do this being Youtube, where users upload original content for anyone to watch. Four students reveal what being a “Youtuber” in our school is really like.
Since Youtube’s launch in 2005, this generation has grown up with the ability for constant entertainment since a young age. The new quick, easy way to watch videos has inspired people from all backgrounds to upload a variety of content. It was not long before the hobby of creating videos turned into an actual career as more and more people continuously used the app. With over 1.9 billion users every month, Youtubers have the ability to reach people from around the world. As more and more student creators join the platform, it sparks an interest from many on how and why they started a Youtube channel.
Many Youtubers recall the horrifying feeling they felt when they first start their Youtube channel. For a Youtuber from our school, Nina Rutzen, her first time posting a video was exhilarating due to her hopeful impact on her audience.
“I know the impact you can make on someone’s life through Youtube and I wanted to start a channel so that I could impact more people’s lives in a positive way or just put a smile on someone’s face,” Rutzen said.
In fact, it was other Youtubers that finally pushed Rutzen to make her own channel. Their inspiring nature and positive reinforcement made it finally a reality for Rutzen.
“Tati Westbrook and Shane Dawson inspired me to start a Youtube channel after saying multiple times on their channels that people who want to make a channel should just go for it,” Rutzen said.
Whether it be nervousness or excitement that finally leads them to post their first Youtube video, the positive feedback from their peers has made it an easier transition.
“All of my peers have been super supportive and given me incredibly helpful feedback on the videos i’ve been making,” Rutzen said.
A typical video you can find on most of our schools Youtuber accounts are daily vlogs; videos that take you along with them as they venture out into the world. The normally ten minute vlogs can consist of anything from staying at home and doing homework or going out with friends. For Youtubers Megan Leigh and Grace Moore, they like to produce lifestyle and fashion inspired videos and vlogs of their daily lives.
Even with this technologically dependent generation, becoming vulnerable on the internet is hard to do and can be emotionally draining. Even with positive reinforcement from peers, there still is a negative stigma towards Youtubers especially in a high school environment. Sometimes it becomes frustrating for Youtubers videos to be taken seriously in high school.
“I think it is hard because I’m just starting out and some people are scared to share my channel with others before I’m “famous” for some reason. I can’t figure out why, but I’m working hard on getting people to realize that this channel isn’t a joke,” Rutzen said.
Leigh and Moore face the same negative stigma while being new Youtubers.
“It might be hard to be taken seriously when you’re starting out and are still small, but everyone has to start somewhere,” Leigh and Moore said.
In the end, the positive feedback from peers is the driving force that keeps both channels creatively motivated. Both channels plan to keep constantly uploading original content. Even though Leigh and Moore share a channel, they both would still like to continue it in the future.
“We hope that we are still doing Youtube, even if its still not with each other. We also hope to be as successful as possible,” Leigh and Moore said.
Rutzen has the same hopes for her channel, to keep creating and hopefully find success and stardom on the platform.
“I really hope I’m as big as sister James Charles. He is kind of an icon and only one year older than I am,” Rutzen said.
