Click here to go back to the homepage!

    YouTube is an old platform, it's been around for 20 years and has gone through many different iterations both technologically and culturally. And after seeing many channels come and go, I do wonder if those creators who have become successful and continue to make videos still consider themselves normal people?

    This topic came to mind when I was reminiscing on some animation channels I used to watch like JaidenAnimations and Emirichu. These channels were a great source of comfort in my early 20's, it was enduring to see someone talk about their lives and the problems they faced. From Jaiden dealing with completing a college project while being shackled with incompetent classmates, to Emily dealing with her Asian-American identity and the struggles that comes from juggling both at once. And even though I'm Mexican-American, I can relate to the feelings of shame that come from not knowing your ancestors native language or the thought that life would be easier if I was just white. It made me feel better knowing that I wasn't the only one facing this internal conflict.

    These animation channels were more than just videos, their sincere and relatable nature made it feel like they were your cool online friends. And as someone who was really socially challenged around this time and struggled to connect with anyone at university, it helped me get through a lot.

    Times have changed since those days however, and while many of those channels are still around, they don't feel the same anymore. Some creators like Comma Splice and Soulnight Says have commented on this issue to some degree. And while they've mentioned things like the animation becoming too hyper/polished or their thumbnails becoming too clickbaitish, I personally feel like they've become too successful to have shared experiences anymore. Jaiden now has videos talking about taking trips to Japan for Hatune Miku concerts or Pokemon events, while Emily has moved to Japan and has multiple videos trying out various anime/maid cafes. And while I don't mean to knock their success, it is jarring to see them go from being relatable and everyday people to essentially being another influencer documenting their fabulous lifestyle. This is especially true for me, as I'm still in the same city I was born in and struggling to get my adult life going. Because of these factors, I can only watch their videos as a viewer now. I can't relate to them anymore and nothing feels like a shared experience. I think one of the few channels that still feels normal is Shgurr³. Her video on Door Dashing connected with me both because I've done delivery driving for apps before and because she still sounds like someone I'd know in real life. She too is just doing what she can to get by, that's much more common than taking elaborate trips or trying out expensive themed cafes.

    Again, I don't mean to degrade or shame JaidenAnimations or Emirichu. They have earned their success from YouTube and deserve to be where they are in their lives. I do wonder though if they realize how different they've become from their younger selves and from their audience. Do they notice how much has changed? Do they ever worry about it, does it not bother them at all? There are so many things I would love to ask them if given the chance. Or if not me, someone who is smaller than them should ask them. I know these creators could talk about something like this on a podcast or guest appearance, but I don't think they would be able to truly see and feel the difference unless they talked to someone on a different (lower) level than them. Who knows if that'll happen, and while it's good that they can live the lives they want to without much worry, it is sad to see that they have become too grand and fantastical to relate to anymore.

Click here to go back to the homepage!