YouTube has always been a platform for a variety of people to express themselves, but in recent years some have managed to create a career for themselves by becoming ‘YouTube famous.’
From creating weekly videos on hair/makeup tutorials and displaying their recent shopping purchases to pranks and daily vlogging, some YouTubers have turned their hobby into a multi-million pound career.
We are lucky enough to have one of the biggest YouTube power couples living right here, putting Brighton on the YouTube map. Alfie Deyes and Zoe Sugg – known online as Pointless Blog and Zoella, collectively have over 15 million subscribers to their channels.
So what is it about these videos that we just can’t get enough of? Many find it comforting to watch someone they can relate to, whilst others lose themselves in a lifestyle they wish they could have for themselves. Either way, these stars around the globe are changing the world of reality television and advertising, with some companies paying up to £20,000 just to have their products featured in a video.
These online personalities are idolized so much that an outfit they wore, or a beauty product they used can sell out overnight, so its no wonder that companies are turning to YouTube in order to promote their products – it’s a platform that has never been used before and it reaches a whole new type of viewer.
Popular YouTubers create a sense of friendship with their viewers, with how they talk to the camera and their interaction on social media, allowing you to feel as though you actually know them. They share so much with you that maybe you do – but can we ever really know where their online personality begins and ends? Its fantastic to have more realistic role models, and YouTube certainly caters for people of all ages, providing some escapism at the end of the day – its like watching your favorite television program, except there always being a new episode each day and never having to wait months for the next season.
It is likely that this is just a phase and eventually something new will come along, or we will move on, but for now, lets just enjoy while it lasts.
Lydia Clayton
images: Zoella and Youtube
Fantastic read, than you for posting Lydia Clayton.
Great article gets you thinking.
Good article Lydia Clayton, funny how these things just become apart of our lives without us even noticing…you made me notice!