Before I start, I just want to let you know that this is my personal opinion. I am not a professional in these sorts of things, (my degrees are human biology and psychology), but I do like to observe and I especially like to watch people and read comments. I am also not a professional or famous Youtuber, obviously. But just hear me out for a moment. =P
I've been wanting to write something like this for a long time. As we get more technologically advanced, the ways we see, think, and hear things change and evolve. I first started thinking about this when Youtube cameout, no, I'm not that old. I'm the Youtube/Harry Potter generation, I grew up with the evolution of the IPod so, I'm not speaking from the previous generation's perspective (my parent's) but I am speaking from (I suppose) an older and more mature standpoint (definitely more mature than I was 10 years ago).
I watch a lot of Youtube, and over the years I've seen a lot of change. I definitely remember the beginnings of NigaHiga, KevJumba, Michelle Phan, Bubzbeauty, Wong Fu, and many others. As the internet boomed, younger and newer Youtubers came onto the scene, and today we have many talented people on Youtube, free for the entire world to see (but possibly limited in certain countries....*cough* China *cough*).
A few months ago, I started unsubscribing from some Youtubers. This, wasn't because I didn't like them as a person, or felt that they were getting worse. It was more that I was no longer interested in them, to say bluntly, I thought they were boring. As I continue to grow and learn, I change, and if things don't align with my interests anymore, I put them behind me.
Recently, I watched a youtuber (let's call this person A), who I unsubscribed from and A still shows up on my "What to watch" feed once a while, and A had been getting some pretty negative comments, much more dislikes than before, more criticism, and not as many views. Some of them may have been justified, a little too sharp, and some not that nice. However, it seemed like the general consensus was that A's video's were not liked as much as they were before. Now why is that?
Why, do people get famous/popular and then go down in popularity? How do people overcome that?
The Thing about Humanity
Let's first take a step back in time to the evolution of the human species (as I struggle to spell the darn word). I believe that humans are naturally progressive beings; that is they always want to improve and move forward. Unlike the world of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings (who are very comfortable where they are), I feel that humans/muggles/big people/race of men, are never quite satisfied and are constantly looking for more, making improvements, and trying to be better.
Overall, I think that is a rather positive aspect of humanity, with its advantages and disadvantages (but let's talk about that some other time).
Going back to Youtube
So, I think that people in general like to advance. You see in everywhere, in fashion, music, technology, research, etc. We are continuously progressing and changing.
That's the same for entertainment. I think what keeps people interested in a show (like "Lost") is not only the drama, and the hot people, but what the drama contains and what the hot people do. Usually it's a variety of new things and differences. A new character, a plot twist, a change of heart. <3
Especially on the internet, I feel that people have an even shorter attention span. And so, they get bored easily. And people, hate being bored. =P Just watch/read the Hunger Games, why on earth do they force Katniss with giant fireballs to move towards the other contestants, b/c her being far away would extend the Game, and the people of the Capitol would get bored, and like a Roman Colosseum, start complaining or something, and maybe throw food, or who knows, umbrellas.
So, I suppose, the short answer for those of you who want to live off of Youtube and stay famous on Youtube, is to not be boring. Well, wasn't that obvious? But I think
there's more to that.
I am also subscribed to let's say Youtuber B and Youtuber C. B and C are both very famous, have a lot of fans, and whenever B or C get's criticized, the criticizer usually ends up like the "Red Wedding", completely KOed to bits.
Both B and C have been on Youtube for a long time, I think at least 8 years, and they are still going strong. Not saying it was easy, they definitely each had their share of criticisms, whether positive or negative, and managed to pull through and stay well afloat from the lion's den of the internet mob.
I personally think that each person has a style to their videos, and similar habits that each person goes by. B and C, both had their habits, and they have both been criticized for their styles, or ways of doing things, as being "the same" or "boring".
But what made them different from A? While A seems to be falling through, why do B and C remain so strong?
B did not really address the criticisms. I think B just ignored most of them, and when B did talk back, that just created a storm of fan followers, which got messy. B's video's recently have been off topic of what B normally does, and doesn't make videos as often as he/she did but amazing, still has over 1 million subscribers and many supporters.
C actually made a video on his/her style/manner of doing videos, or what he/she was doing in the videos, explaining why things were the way they where. Also, C has started to change directions in his/her life, starting a family and devoting less time to videos, but amazingly, still has over 1 million subscribers and also many supporters.
I suppose more impressive was C, who, after the explanation video, was almost never criticized for his/her style/habit of videos, and life went on, just like that!
The Thing about Self-Esteem/Confidence
So, I think what makes a person strong and continue to pursue his or her path (despite others' thoughts) is belief in him or herself. This doesn't mean that the person is always right or wrong, and he/she doesn't have to be, because that's how much belief and trust they have in themselves. This quality allows you to diligently pursue your dreams and goals, and not letting others stop you and not doubting yourself. When winter comes, they will be the last ones standing, because they are true to themselves and have the ability to survive the coldness of reality and criticism (and stupid people).
Both B and C display such qualities. They might have had these qualities before making videos, or as their video's progressed and as they matured in life, they might have gained confidence. But this was confidence in themselves, as people, not gaining self-esteem from viewers and commentators (which is a dangerous thing).
What happened to A was that (I think) his/her self-esteem and confidence relied more on the internet, than him/herself. I could definitely see it in his/her most recent videos that A did not seem to have the love to do videos anymore. Or more cornily put, no longer a sparkle in his/her eyes. He/she talked less, and just overall did not look as happy. I think A used the positive comments as part of his/her self-esteem, but when the comments started becoming more negative, he/she got more put down and had more doubts about him/herself.
I am not saying positive/encouraging/happy comments are bad. They are good, they can really make someone's day, and make another smile. However, if someone relies their foundation of self-esteem on that, due to the volatile nature of the internet, it can be harmful, and self-destructive. And it clearly reflected in his/her later videos. If A doesn't recollect him/herself, A is going to be a walking emotional time-bomb, and sooner or later, has a much higher risk of a breakdown. You might think this is too much, but in this case, I think it is quite possible.
The Thing about Charisma
Another thing that B and C have that A might not have, is Charisma. There is something about B and C that makes people love them. It could be their personality, their style, their personal beliefs on life, etc. BUT IT IS SOMETHING ELSE,
besides what they do or talk about in their videos. They have another quality that people are drawn towards, that makes them interested in them as people, and not just on what they show in videos.
For instance, when I think if B, I think of Daenerys, Mother of Dragon's, a "strong woman"(and the woman on all of HBO's ads) who doesn't give any fuks on whatever anyone says about him/her. And I think (to many people who are behind their laptop/computer/mac screens) that this is a very admirable quality. It is hard to be confident and stand up for yourself when you don't know if others think the same. It is scary to be alone. The ability to not care about what others say, even when the rest of life may be difficult or uncertain, and still move on with one's plans, is very, "lone star" and "hero like". I am not making fun of B, this is just a comparison. And I think that might be a charismatic quality that B has, besides his/her talents in his/her videos which makes him/her very admirable as a person.
When I think of A, I think of Albus Dumbledore. His/her ability to forgive and love, is a very powerful quality, that few people have. I'm not saying A is perfect in his/her Dumbledore-ness, he/she's definitely had thoughts or moments, but A is one of the most kind people I have ever seen and it definitely shows, (and having worked in hospitals, I know when someone's lying, don't even bother asking for pain meds okay) This quality of A's is one that probably draws a lot of people to him/her and continue to support her, despite having similar styles in videos, less videos or going through a different stage in life, because we admire and care for him/her as a person.
So, I suppose that the moral of the story, is that if you want to do something like this. Believe in yourself and believe in your dreams. But remember, dreams are goals without plans, so you better plan and improve your stuff, or they may become obsolete in the near future. In this internet-crazy world, anything goes, and goes in or out.
On being "charismatic" or having charisma, I don't think it is something to acquire. Perhaps as you learn and grow as a person, you may develop your own charm or charisma. But I don't think it's something like learning to play the cello and being great with lots of practice.
I think the best way to be loved by others, is to be honest and true to yourself and others. Don't wear a mask of perfection, because places like Reddit and what not, are very good at stripping that off. Talk to the camera as if you were talking to your friend, and be the best of yourself. =)
(Though exception, I understand, that some people may have poor attitudes and are narrow minded but just don't know it. Probably be great to start working on that, just saying. And i'm not saying you, the reader, I'm saying in general. I had to go through a lot of hard lessons, before I became the person I am today)
If you still don't quite understand what I'm talking about, that's okay. Just look at this puppy and ask yourself, why do I love you when I don't even know you?
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| That's right, fall for me suckers! |
Okay, I talked a lot. Sorry. XD
I'll post a review soon, too!
Thanks for reading. I know it was a lot and you don't have to read it. I just mostly wrote it to get some thoughts out of my head. =P
See you later! =)
