YouTube Ruined My Friendships

4/18/2018

My very best friend hates social media and believes technology takes away the ability to enjoy the moment. I agree, but unplugged events won't contribute to my YouTube success as I must stay relevant on other platforms. Let's address how YouTube ruined my friendships.

Unless you live on an artsy college campus or in LA, you most likely aren't surrounded by fellow YouTubers, wannabe actors/actresses, and bored enough individuals with hefty trust funds. Some upcoming YouTubers may have 1-2 engaging friends (actively following your content and/or helping you produce) if they are lucky. But what if your friends don't understand or enjoy the entertainment industry altogether? You can experience several different emotions...

You Appear to be a User

Maybe a simple boomerang during your cheers at the table is a cute upload to your Instagram story. But then you gotta Snapchat your food. But what will be your official Instagram upload to document your outfit? Sure your friends may pull out their phone to shoot a text and take one selfie, but you find yourself constantly documenting and staging a social occasion that screams
I have friends!

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You Seem Self-Absorbed

You make your friends pose and retake pictures to only ignore them. I mean, the pictures aren't going to filter themselves.

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You do have a virtual audience to impress. You go out on week days and eat expensive meals. Flexing gets old for us influencers, but we are committed to this social game. If we dedicate too many minutes to the internet world, please speak up. We ultimately care about our friends.

Don't even get me started about vlogging. A lot of people have Instagram and Snapchat, but they cater to their inner circle instead of the general public. These friends have jobs and don't want to be filmed at a bar. They are shy and don't know what to say. Please give us three minutes to vlog the night and get exactly what we need.

You Feel Socially Awkward

You cringe to pull out your vlogging camera, but you must update your audience. Do you have to check with the people you're with to do so? What if you don't know them well? And wow, you don't feel like filming anymore.

But a plea to our friends... Talking to a camera in public feels really dorky. That's why you still rarely see vloggers when you go to the mall. It takes a lot of confidence to interact with "nobody" in front of everybody. Please don't roll your eyes and shame us for trying to build our brand.

Did I miss anything? If so, please sound off in the comments. If you're a small YouTuber struggling, please know that you can always reach out to me. YouTube is a wonderful place, but it can be it's own social bubble.

Want to read more in my 'Small YouTuber' series? Check out these articles:

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