One of the greatest parts about growing up in the age of social media is being able to connect with so many people through various platforms. One of my favorite platforms was Youtube due to how many great videos were put out weekly. Specifically, the three YouTubers that changed my life are down below.
1. Anthony Quintal
Anthony Quintal is a 20-year-old YouTuber from Melrose, Massachusetts. I remember watching his videos all of middle school to the start of high school. He was a crucial part of my transition between junior high school and secondary school. Anthony helped me transition with ease due to his back-to-school videos giving a lot of practical tips about socializing and studying. He also included some rants about school, so the content balanced out perfectly.
In fact, I watched most of his videos multiples time due to his sarcastic humor and incredible wit. My favorite part about his Youtube channel was the diversity of content. There were fashion hauls, travel experiences, and year recaps. Although I do not watch his videos as often as I did 6 years ago, he gave me permission to be a courageous individual. I had a very deep connection with Anthony since we're almost the same age.
2. Nabela Noor
Nabela Noor is a 27-year-old Youtuber from New York. She is an inspiration for many different types of women. However, Nabela's Southasian heritage along with having immigrant Muslim parents from Bangledesh speaks to my life directly. I am a Pakistani American with immigrant Muslim parents just like her. Seeing a Bengali woman making so many strides in her career, inspires me endlessly to reach for my highest dreams.
Nabela's story is one I did not see almost anywhere else in mainstream media growing up. Therefore, watching her videos regarding her own personal struggles with her identity helped me tremendously. Her videos range from her plus size outfits to her glam makeup tutorials. One beautiful thing about Nabela is that she pushes young girls to see themselves as beautiful no matter what society tells them. Nabela also keeps a very real persona online that allows young girls to not have unrealistic expectations about life.
3. Troye Sivan
Troye Sivan is a 24-year-old singer, songwriter, actor, and Youtuber from Australia. One of the reasons I cherish Troye Sivan is the way he dabbles in so many areas of art such as singing and acting. He does not allow anyone to put him in a box, but rather shows the world what he's capable of accomplishing. My journey with Troye Sivan goes way back to middle school much like Anthony.
A few years after binging his very early Youtube videos, he began producing amazing music that I listen to almost daily. I follow Troye Sivan the most out of these three, because of how much he's developed as a creator. Many people know him only for his music since his songs took off these last few years. Particularly, he has had massive hit songs in 2018 and 2019. Overall, he has taught me that being patient and working hard are the keys to life. I have watched him morph into a shy kid on Youtube to doing duets with his musical heroes over the span of six to seven years.
