When people ask me, “What’s your favorite TV show?” or “What’re you watching on TV?” it is really hard for me to answer because I do not watch a whole lot of television. That does not mean that I am some pure soul who spends all of my time socializing and being active. Instead of watching TV, I actually spend a lot of my time on the internet, specifically on YouTube.
It began around when I started going to college and just after I had gotten a smartphone (my iPhone 3, which is pretty close to obsolete). I downloaded the YouTube app and just used the app so that I could listen to music while I was reading or writing essays. That was until I heard about Markiplier.
My friend and fellow Odyssey writer, Ashley, had mentioned Markiplier before and she had some posts about him on her Tumblr, so one day when I was bored and did not want to study, I decided to check out one of his videos. Specifically, I watched “This Game Will CHANGE YOUR LIFE | Presentable Liberty,” and I could not stop watching even though it was an hour-long video. I not only thought Markiplier was hilarious and entertaining, but he seemed like a really cool guy. The following weeks, I spent a lot of time watching all of Markiplier’s old videos, from his horror game compilations, to his "Five Nights at Freddy’s" gameplay, to his "Happy Wheels" videos.
Markiplier got me hooked on YouTubers who play video games, or "let’s players," and I soon subscribed to his channel and watched his newer videos. I then began to subscribe to other let’s players like Jacksepticeye, Pewdiepie, iHasCupquake, Chilled Chaos, and others. I do not even play that many video games. As a college student, I cannot find the time or money to play games, and yet I always find time for watching let’s players. The reason why is because I am not watching the videos for the video games, but for the personalities playing the games. These YouTubers are just people like me who one day decided to film themselves playing video games and post it on the internet. It is like spending time at a friend's house. YouTube became my source of entertainment.
Around the time I started watching anime, I also started watching otaku YouTubers like The Anime Man, Akidearest, Lost Pause, and Misty Chronexia. I had started watching these videos to become familiar with otaku culture and find new anime series to watch, but then their videos became more for me. Watching their videos was like hanging out with a friend and laughing about incredibly stupid jokes together. Like the let’s players, these people were just like me and loved to watch anime and found a way to make a living off of talking about anime and otaku culture.
Whenever I am exhausted or depressed, I know that I can watch a video by my favorite YouTuber and laugh and forget about all my problems. That is why YouTube is so important to me, because I am not just a fan watching a celebrity try to entertain me. I am a part of a community interacting over a common interest, whether it be video games, anime, or anything else.
As YouTube continues to grow, rules and regulations will change and there will be times when this has a negative impact on YouTubers and the content they produce. However, that is precisely why it is important to show YouTubers support. Show them that what they do matters and that no matter what, they still bring joy to hundreds, thousands, even millions of people. Write positive comments, share their content and channels, maybe give to a Patreon account, and just keep watching their videos. They deserve it.
