Entitlement Is Running Rampant Amongst YouTube Content Creators: Perspectives That Need to Be Brought Up So We Can Fix That (Part 2)

YouTuber entitlement is a big conversation in the social media realm as many are being faced with the possibility that as the world starts to question things that their past actions and messages will be taken into account with that. Many at the top are reacting in a defensive manner about the situation and while there is a level where I can certainly understand the frustration I am also aware that in the end it will be better for the world moving forward, even if we are uncomfortable right now.

Money was the name of the game in the last article but today we are going to look at the idealistic lifestyle of an influencer. This will be more audience-focused but there is still a part to be played as an influencer and presence on social media.

There are many questions that need to be brought up to get to the root of the issue. Now these can be asked in many different ways and can take many different routes, but for the sake of time and energy I will just focus on the broader aspect.

How does the lifestyle of influencers and celebrities affect what we want to see from them?

I think this is the biggest factor in how we view celebrities on the internet. Even someone who just has an online presence and may not be considered, nor consider themselves, famous have expectations placed on them purely for the presence that they convey when they put themselves out on the internet. We view them as more of a reality star than a person living their life.

We are here for the drama, we are here for the mess, we are here for the outlandish style that we only dreamed we could have. On the most basic level we glorify those who we want to be and make them into a cartoon/character of how we would want to be ourselves.

In other words, they are our real-life simulation and we live vicariously through them.

There are so many characteristics that we put onto people and the behaviors with which we think they might act. We then put the pressure on them to give us entertainment, to give us a train wreck. Then we grow up and realize that is not the life we wanted at all nor how we want them to be. We grow to resent those lifestyles and change our minds.

Now this is not all scenarios but I definitely think it is a huge factor in the mind of younger audience members whether we want to admit it or not.

How does the celebrity lifestyle and assumptions placed upon the audience affect the creator?

I want it to be clear that this relationship of creator and audience member is a two-way street. We, as the creators, present ourselves to you and you let us know what you like and do not like. If we can we will try to cater to that or be very against it for the sake of views.

The most basic desire is pinpointed when we acknowledge that more views means more money.

Creators start to develop a sixth sense when it comes to the audience they want to target. They know that drama, traumatic stories, and train wreck lifestyles sell.

What may have started as a perfectly fine acting person will then start to dip their toes into the crazy stunts, the outlandish and brash attitudes, the absolute disregard of anyone else with ease because that is what the world they live in tells them they want to see. It is also something that is contagious as there is a heady sense of power and importance that one does not want to give up once the lifestyle is ingrained.

The assumptions and presuppositions placed on the audience are then turned back on them as a form of gaslighting and trolling through which the creator could then blame shift or act righteous about a certain topic. It is a highly effective tactic and one that cannot be detected until later on in life.

At that point the damage has been done and the creator now thinks they are justified. Some even believe in those lies.

How do the two instances above effect those who want to make it big on the platform (a.k.a other social media presences on the internet)?

It is not out of the realm of possibility to say that, yes, there could be jealousy on the part of other creators who see what success on this platform can get them. There are those who do the exact same niche of videos, who hang around the same people, who act the exact same way and they are not recognized half as much as others.

As a creator on the platform and one who has her hands full with multiple channels, streaming and of course keeping a presence on social media for the community that follows me while also getting everything together for college and working part-time; I really do not have the time nor extra energy to feel a type of way about it. But for someone who wants to dedicate all their time and effort, I could see how that would start to become a matter of personal pride.

Who wouldn't want to automatically come onto YouTube and be an automatic success and earn money from that?

The pressure will undoubtedly be overwhelming!

Some try to rise to the challenge and fail. Some actually make it to that level and have a sense of regret when it is all over. Some conform naturally and reveal a new side of themselves that we do not grow to like as an audience over time.

There is also a sense of foreboding as one who wants to be 'different', come on with a personal message and want to just find a community that might accept them because there is a commonality trait amongst creators. They are not looking to make it big or be scrutinized. However, there is the examples that are on the internet and it can be dauting.

Some take great pains to act in a way that will not draw attention and then lose the happiness and initial energy of why they started their channel in the first place.

I do not use the encompassing word 'all' because there will always be exceptions. I am also not saying that all of these questions are concrete, but there is a certain level of realistic thought processes that we should maybe consider.

I will be parking here because I think these past two parts are rather relevant to many of the YouTubers that I commentate on and the behavioral patterns that I continue to see. In the next article I will be sharing a list that I have compiled over this year and have tried to pick up trends and clocking certain behaviors.

Disclaimer: following articles will have many different personal, subjective opinions and research that is purely online as I do not know any of these creators personally nor have met them. I want to also make mention that these articles are purely subjective and I will try to leave as many link as I can and sources so that you can read and make an informed decision for yourself, if you are interested.

Thank you so much for your time in reading this article! If you want more cringe content you can always check me out on my channel! We will also be incorporating a separate channel for purely sarcastic humor compilations of video topics coming soon so stay tuned for that!

I will also be streaming on twitch ever Saturday for the rest of the year. Come hang out, chat about life and watch an almost 20 year old play a games meant for kids and even join in on the fun!

I also wanted to let you know that any generous tips will go back into funding all these platforms. Have a great day!