YouTube careers prosper as the demand for videos increase

As newer streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu have risen to popularity in recent years, YouTube, a site that has been around for 13 years, does not seem to be getting old by any means. Kids of all ages as well as adults spend hours on the site everyday watching all types of videos, from makeup tutorials to cooking videos to Fortnite live streams. 400 hours of content are uploaded to the site per minute and one billion hours are watched everyday. People sit down to watch one video and before they know it, they’ll have watched 40.

“When I’m bored, I can always know that I can be entertained” Junior Mia Servidio said, “I can click the home tab and watch whatever I’m in the mood for.”

Because of the constant and increasing demand for YouTube videos, many video creators have devoted their lives to the platform and use it as a regular source of income.

Famous influencers spend all their time making videos to share with the public and earn a decent amount of money for it. YouTubers are paid based upon how many people click on or watch the ads that are present before or after their videos. As stated by Penna Powers, they receive $.18 per person that views the advertisement. So if 100 people watch the video but only 30 click on the add, the YouTuber will receive $5.40. This means that if an influencer gets a sizable amount of views on a video and a decent number of people click on the ads, they will earn a large sum of money just for that one video. Many of the most subscribed to YouTubers have received over one million dollars over the course of their YouTube careers. However, for a video to make money, it must be monetized by YouTube. If YouTube gets the sense that a video is inappropriate or insulting, the video will be demonetized and the creator will not receive money from it.

Becoming a popular YouTuber and being able to make it a lifestyle is not easy. Creators spend years working their way up the YouTube ladder and rising to fame. Popular influencers such as Shane Dawson and Jeffree star had close to no following when they started. But these two YouTubers were determined to make their passions into a lifestyle, and with hard work and time, they are now household names and have turned YouTube into successful careers. Shane started his YouTube career 10 years ago and today he spends his time reimagining the future of YouTube while traveling all around the country meeting thousands upon thousands of fans and fellow YouTubers. After becoming the most followed person on Myspace in 2006, Jeffree Star took his career to YouTube and  now has a makeup line and millions of subscribers. Both men devoted their lives to YouTube, and it is clear that it worked out in both cases.

As with many things in life, the way to rise to the top on YouTube is through connections. When trying to gain a following, lesser known creators will reach out to more well-known YouTubers to ask for shout-outs or collabs. After being publicly recognized by a popular YouTuber, most people’s followings will rapidly climb.

Trisha Paytas has been pretty well known by the YouTube community for years for her eating shows and lavish clothing hauls, but it wasn’t until she became a part of popular vlogger, David Dobrik’s vlogs that her following dramatically increased. Being that David Dobrik is one of YouTube’s most famous vloggers, getting recognition on David’s vlogs allowed Trisha’s career to flourish and she gained millions of subscribers.

While getting shout-outs is what most creators use to gain a following, some increase their subscribers in different, more extreme ways.  Balancing on the side of cliffs, lighting objects on fire and jumping off of houses, some influencers act in crazy, dangerous ways with the hopes of gaining views and increasing their following. Examples of YouTubers that use these tactics as a way to grow their channels are Jake and Logan Paul. The Paul brothers risk their lives and even break certain laws to gain popularity. Some of the brothers’ craziest acts include strapping fireworks to their friends’ legs and breathing fireballs. But the most deranged stunt ever pulled by one of the brothers was in January of 2018 when Logan Paul posted a video in which he blatantly showed a dead body in forest. Because of the danger the brothers’ videos promote and the twisted content they put out, their channels have become controversial. However, this controversy does not prevent them from gaining followers and despite how insane their actions are, the public cannot look away.

The danger, thrill and entertainment that Youtube encompasses make it an engaging site for youth, and a fun and unique career for creators. Based upon the success of YouTube from the start, it is safe to say that YouTube is not dying out any time soon and YouTube lovers can continue to spend their time binging the seemingly endless site.