{"id":135,"date":"2017-01-07T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-01-07T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.blog.buprojects.uk\/2016-2017\/andrewdavies\/?p=135"},"modified":"2017-01-22T13:13:27","modified_gmt":"2017-01-22T13:13:27","slug":"internest-sensation-internet-abomination","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.blog.buprojects.uk\/2016-2017\/andrewdavies\/2017\/01\/07\/internest-sensation-internet-abomination\/","title":{"rendered":"Youtubers – Internet Sensations or Abominations?"},"content":{"rendered":"

We live in the technoera – wherever we look we are surrounded by technology, whether we like it or not. Visual media is immensely popular within the realms of the online world, with Youtube proving to be the most popular, with hundreds of millions of hours<\/a> of videos\u00a0being watched everyday… Crikey. Within Youtube come the Youtube Stars, or Creators if you want to use the technical terminology. As of 2015, over 17,000 \u2018channels\u2019 had at least 100,000 subscribers<\/a>, with over 1,500 passing the million milestone. So who are these people, why are they so popular and what influence are they having over those that choose to watch them?<\/p>\n

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Youtube is the world’s most popular video streaming site. (Image by FreeCliparts)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Youtube stars, or \u2018Youtubers\u2019, have formed a new wave of celebrity. Everyday, millions of viewers tune in to watch their favourites show off their new clothing \u2018haul\u2019 or play the latest video game. For those that are unfamiliar, the concept of a Youtuber is someone who records videos, whether they\u2019re \u2018vlogs\u2019, tutorials or just them talking to a camera, and uploads them to Google\u2019s video streaming site Youtube.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s use Zoella<\/a> as an example. The UK\u2019s leading lady in the Youtube world, Zoe Sugg has over 11 million subscribers and over 900 million<\/a> total channel views. Her worldwide success has lead to numerous beauty and lifestyle product ranges, and three published books. On top of this, her debut novel, Girl Online<\/em><\/a>, is the fastest-selling debut novel<\/a> since records began. However, if you\u2019re older than your late twenties, the chances are that you\u2019ve never heard of her. Zoella\u2019s primary target audience, young teenage girls, obsess over her more than they do over your bog standard \u2018celebrity\u2019. Her uploaded content\u00a0is absorbed by millions around the world, and her influence is legendary.<\/p>\n

Zoe Sugg, aka Zoella, is one of the UKs most popular Youtubers (Photo by Gage Skidmore)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sugg uploads a variety of videos, including beauty tutorials, clothing hauls and collaborations with other popular Youtubers. She also has a second channel, MoreZoella<\/a>, devoted to daily \u2018vlogs\u2019 of her normal life (I use the word \u2018normal\u2019 rather loosely here). Zoe is open about her struggle with anxiety and resulting panic attacks. In a video labelled Just Say Yes, Sugg offers viewers her advice on how to deal with feeling down and anxious. As she writes in a blog post<\/a>,<\/p>\n

I feel so much better for saying yes to things. It has improved my confidence drastically, and it\u2019s made me want to go out and do more things I normally never think\/want to do.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Utilising Youtube as a platform, she can spread a positive message to millions of people globally, Zoella is, therefore, a perfect example of how people can use the internet for good.<\/p>\n