Great article! I love watching YouTube and part of the appeal is the wide array of genres and seeing how so many different independent creators choose to produce their content in various ways, and also how their production techniques evolve over the years. Getting meta about the channel itself is part of the fun.

A couple months ago I started writing a blog post much like this one, centered on the idea of Dick Proenneke as an influencer. He built a cabin by hand in the Alaskan wilderness back in the 70's and documented everything on 8mm film (Alone in the Wilderness is title of the eventual release and I can't recommend it enough).

It's kind of an absurd juxtaposition but there is a lot of overlap. Also some of my favorite YouTube channels are seemingly totally normal people working typical blue collar jobs who happen to have a knack for talking to a camera. It's fascinating how well it works for some people and how many other people there are who enjoy watching.

part of the allure of this genre is that we need to believe that it's possible to exist this way, that a calm, focused life, without anxiety or fear or loneliness, is within reach if we just choose it. we hold onto the worlds we see on youtube or twitch or tiktok as proof.

Also, horribly tragic! This should not be happening:

house member hana kimura was targeted on social media by angry viewers, furious with her for behavior she said the producers had directed, and she killed herself. her death swiftly led to a reckoning as cast members spoke out about how they were coerced by the production staff to create a more interesting reality for viewers, and the show best known for its sincerity was canceled.