Monday 18 January 2016

Entry 11: The YouTube Culture

Yes, it’s 12.43 a.m. and I would like to make one more entry before I can do no more anymore..

This topic has always been interesting to me so here I am, having a discussion about it now. It is called: The YouTube Culture.

Basically, a YouTuber—SpinkleOfGlitter started talking about it, and then more YouTubers joined in and now it’s become a topic of discussion many are aware of. 

The YouTube Culture is about the divide that is widening between the fans and the creators. SprinkleOfGlitter started bringing this up because she was uncomfortable with the whole situation and position of where she stands. First of all, idolising is a main reason why this topic has become so serious. YouTubers are suppose to be ordinary people who make YouTube videos that can entertain (or whatever their purpose is) the viewers, create communities and communicate with the people in the community. But as YouTube grow, so do the exposure of these YouTubers and eventually, it’s become impossible for them to communicate with their viewers. Eventually, the people in the community become their fans and eventually, YouTubers become celebrities and are being idolised by their fans, which is not the way it should be. In SprinkleOfGlitter’s YouTube Culture video (Video available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnOEYsgcEiQ), she mentioned that we, the viewers shouldn’t idolise them because we don’t know who they truly are as a person when the camera is not rolling. They are choosing what to say and what to share with us and of course, they will make everything look as perfect as it can be. She also said we shouldn’t idolise them but instead, just enjoy their contents because that is how it should’ve been from the start. 

She also mentioned about her ‘fans’ and how she got so overwhelmed by them screaming and crying in conventions or gatherings. Also, the barrier that separates her viewers and her really annoy her because she thinks they should be on the same level, instead of being separated as if she’s on a higher position than they are.

One question she asked that I have to point out is: What has the YouTube world come to? 
The way communities are being brought together with the creators is too insane. SprinkleOfGlitter brought this topic up because she believes that there is a better way to solve this problem, and that is how evolution come about. When everyone is aware of this problem and is doing something about it for a solution.

There are two sides to every story.

A girl named Vicky made an opinion on this YouTube Culture as well, but on a ‘fan’ point of view, from ‘the people who stood on the other side of the barrier’ point of view (Video available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3segtU-9cXI). In her video, she commented that the tension between the creators and the fans are all misunderstandings. YouTubers have failed to understand how we feel when we cry in joy of seeing them or what we meant when we say we idolise them. A majority of the viewers who refer to themselves as the fans do understand that they are a fan of the YouTuber that is shown on the screen, which is the internet persona of the YouTuber rather than the YouTuber that they don’t know personally. When the fans idolise a YouTuber, it is mostly because of the things they’ve achieved, how successful they have become and how persistent they are in reaching their goals. It’s not because they are cute or any irrelevant reasons like that but YouTubers didn’t seemed to get that. Some of the YouTubers think their fans are idolising them more than we actually do.

This YouTube Culture cannot be blamed on the fans/viewers nor the creators/YouTubers because they both are two mixtures mixed together which results in the YouTube Culture. I understand that some fans need to ‘chill out’ a little, and all of the viewers should also understand that YouTubers are not positioned any higher than we are. We are all species of the same kind. We can admire them but also have our own opinions on subject matters because YouTubes aren't always right, despite how perfect they make themselves look in videos. On the other hand, some YouTubers are so famous that they forgot what its like to be on the other side of the barrier. That causes the fans to think that they are in a lower position compared to the YouTubers and therefore, building barriers in between them.

YouTubers like Alfie Deyes a.k.a Pointless Blog, voiced out his opinions too (Video available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPIBS3cDU2I) and received a lot of hateful comments because, there are people who are trying to remove the barriers between the YouTubers and the viewers to form a closer community, and there is Alfie who is putting back the barriers and thinking that he is on a higher position than the viewers are. Although it is somewhat true, but speaking as a YouTuber that is admired by many young teenagers, the information that he’s trying to convey and promote is somewhat unhealthy. 

Anyway, I’ll end this post here. I feel like this is getting a little pointless and out of topic. But it’s okay, it’s an interesting fact to know about… I guess. To me at least. 


Goodnight x

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