I really do miss being in ‘RUclipsrs lives’ more I found a home in your content and like doddlevloggle especially with the authenticity. It was very important to me. I feel like you have distanced a lot and even on your blog have posted very base level discussions because you don’t allow yourself to be as vulnerable. I remember dealing with disordered eating and finally being able to ground it as a problem because of a video you put out on it. And I’m definitely sad you’ve deleted so much because I grew up a lot with you as sort of a big sister figure It’s like the old RUclips vibe where every one feels like your friend and older sister is gone. Now you all have disappeared or are more famous or are backing off and I’m just growing more and more dissatisfied with RUclips because I’ve seen so many damn make up and skin care shit but no one is talking like a normal person anymore. It’s all content and not familiar
Me too! I loved watching that content and I miss it. I understand why it’s stopped though; when you get the kind of response that those videos resulted in, it became a question of how to protect everyone’s mental health.
This is such a mature evaluation of the change in youtube dynamics. A lot of older (as in, been on the platform for almost 10 years) youtubers have 'bitched' about it changing, primarily pointing out that due to the influx of new youtubers, they don't make as much $ as they did, but thats just the reality of social media and technological progression. Your outlook is so refreshing! Granted I miss your vlogs, this video really encompasses one of the reasons you remain one of my favorite youtubers.
Aprecciate this, thanks so much! But yeah, totally see what you're saying here, there has definitely been a trend of blaming other factors for the decline in RUclips-specific revenue or a decline in quality of content when really it's just that we need to adapt and enjoy what we have
I'm only at 4:20-ish but I think, as someone who has watched RUclipsrs regularly for many years, I preferred the introspective and personal videos, not for being nosey or anything, but I always found that more interesting, more diverse and more intelligent. In the past few years, I've found the 'big RUclipsrs' do very similar content than each other and less creative videos than the older bigger channels did. It's like RUclips as a website started rewarding drama and clickbait and being a dick and whatever and that pushed channels out or to adapt to what RUclips wanted... which wasn't variety anymore. I'm not talking about your channel here at all but in general on RUclips if there are a million or however many video on how to do make-up or a Primark haul or gossiping etc then it turns me off RUclips so much, both because less variety often means more boring and also because it feels more like it's putting people into boxes or something... I don't know... it just makes me kind of sad that RUclips used to be great and now it's going downhill to the point I used to click on several times a day and now I only click on a few times a week :(
I think what you're saying is true. After 2014, more people started getting channels so personal vlogs which aren't that really well produced and edited get less attention because they get promoted less on the algorithm and they are less put together so people could see everything on the less edited and planned videos and more. The type of content that became popular from the beginning is now not going to make you famous because it's been made more about planning and polished videos instead of switching a camera on and talking on the spot whatever comes to your mind. Also I think with the Chris Ingham issue, I think more people are speaking out against this behaviour but they still have a big fanbase so for as long as Logan Paul, Chris Ingham, veeoneeye and that type of people have an audience, RUclips will keep them there unless the law is changed to stop these people from being in this position of power because RUclips will keep these people on RUclips as they make money and to avoid fan complaints in the same way what some of what Donald Trump has said would have got him removed from twitter if he didn't have a large following and he wasn't the president. I think that this isn't just a RUclips problem, it's a social media problem for as long as there's this power difference, this will happen, even on IGTV but I think that eventually in the distant future companies will start sharing sites to avoid this power balance from the start and people will therefore move away from social media as we know it.
After watching Connies video I found myself thinking may of the same thoughts you expressed in this video, so I really appreciate you doing this reply. I first started watching youtube back in 2008 with the vlog brothers. As a result I believe my opinion on "why youtube has changed" is vastly impacted from that perspective of seeing youtube as a way for people to actively communicate with one another. For me there were a couple of things that really changed youtube. No longer having reply videos disconnected parts of the community. I also really hate the up-voting of comments because I feel it actively decreases the ability for a random viewer to interact with another random viewers perspective. I think it is natural for a platform to change and honestly RUclips became bigger and that is not something that. Additionally I would completely agree that RUclips dramatically changed after the sexual harassment in the community came to light. Some RUclipsrs who I had actually met and had positive experiences with were exposed of sexual abuse and even rape. That was a hard pill to swallow, because I felt very lied to. I think that caused the whole community to progress with an air of caution, and forced there to more of a wall built between the "viewers" and the "content creators". To be fair, it was for good reason, but it was difficult to see.
I actually think that a big part of why youtubers channels "die" is precisely because they try to do too much while not really being... anything (not trying to be mean, sorry if I come across as rude): they do a book, then is a tour, then they drop music and next thing you know, they loose the following they initially had and they are back at square one, except now with less successful videos. Seen this too much to count. Without putting my personal opinion on what I think about youtubers writing books or appearing in TV shows, if they focused more on their video content and less on graving any and every opportunity they can whilst they can, I think the story would be different 🤷♀️
While I appreciate you wanting to inform your audience that you stopped making vlogs due to burning out, I think that the most overused and boring subject that you tubers talk about is RUclips. The amount of videos about RUclips "changing" or RUclips being "hard" or RUclips "not being the same" or RUclips "communities" ... it's so tedious to me as a viewer. Nobody thinks about RUclips that much unless they are a RUclipsr. Most people just sit down and watch some videos to chill out and enjoy. Not trying to be rude I promise, but I think that sometimes RUclipsrs forget that they are not the centre of the world and that this is just a website you put videos on, it doesn't have to be so deep.
I think Lucy is making a video that is unique to others, it is more personal and less attacking of "RUclips" as a company. I think you should be more open minded especially considering how Lucy is talking about opening up and how she doesnt open up so much anymore💙
Copper Clouhds Open up about what? I'm not trying to be insensitive and would always be respectful about people talking about something deeply personal but there's nothing in this video that showed that. Lucy just said she burnt out and that 2014 was her favourite era for RUclips. Also I don't really care about people "attacking" RUclips, I'm just sick of people talking about it.
Siv Greyson Fair enough but considering every other entertainment industry has a level of professionalism and doesn't constantly talk about their format I think it shows a lack of self awareness. Millie Bobby Brown works for Netflix and her work goes on Netflix, but that doesn't mean she is always talking about Netflix and the goings on at Netflix and how Netflix has changed and that the people at Netflix used to be this or that and let's build up the Netflix community and whatever. No, she does her job for Netflix and that's it. Nobody wants to see her talk about the future of Netflix they want to see her be Eleven because that's what people love about her.
Completely agree, it’s so boring hearing people talk about RUclips constantly. Imagine writers just wrote about blogspot or Wordpress or other bloggers all the time, no one would read it.
I think it's two things, it's RUclipsrs that has lost interest in personal videos and also, when you know absolutely everything about a person, what is there left to know?
RUclips is the perfect storm for these grooming situations; it is easy for there to be a power imbalance between creator and viewer, and it is a platform for "fan-culture" in which normal people (who like any other person can be lovely, alright, or terrible) are idolized. This idolization and power-imbalance attracts the type of personalities that would "groom" vulnerable people. To stop situations like this from happening, a shift in how we view RUclipsrs needs to take place. To me, there are so many parallels to the Catholic Church sex abuse scandals (of course the scale in the Church is much larger as the abuses are more widespread and have taken place over a much longer period of time): a regular person (priest, youtuber) is placed on a pedestal creating a power imbalance. Thank you Lucy for this video - by talking about it you're facilitating a more open dialogue about issues like abuse within the RUclips community!
Does anyone remember World Of The Orange?? WOTO was the most wholesome and pure fun and pure funny bullshit that I always really valued in RUclips and their editing was hilarious, as a collab channel almost. I want them back :(
Not finished watching yet but I’m LOVING this video. I study Communications in uni and we’ve touched on RUclips and audience/fan studies here and there, but I really think about pursuing graduate studies purely to dive more into this topic. I’m not sure what the literature looks like on the current landscape on RUclips (i.e., these most recent years and the ways that channels and audiences have really changed [esp. beauty community with sponsorships, brand trips, etc.]) but the rise of RUclips and the RUclipsr fascinates me! Thank you for sharing your thoughts and insights. These are conversations that need to happen.
Hi Melissa. I'm doing a PhD about RUclips content creators at the London School of Economics and would be happy to give you some recommendations on readings if you want to pursue this area of study. It is indeed fascinating! :-D
I totally agree, the "Golden Age" of RUclips was 2012-2014. There was just a different vibe at the time, a lot of collaborations and people were growing but they weren't too big yet. I've felt this shift out of the Golden Age where, there's an attitude change (unfortunately in some cases), and there's a greater sense of commercialisation and less of community. When you have something as well established as RUclips has now become, after 13 years, you cannot avoid the complicated history and baggage that develops as you go along. But the viewers are also evolving as well. The young 14 year old viewer today, is very different to the 14 year old viewer a few years back. And it's no longer good enough to just, make a video and upload it. It needs to be planned and the videography and sound need to be good. This is now a business. Really enjoyed hearing your views on YT, as always. I will literally watch anything you upload, you could be eating a packet of stale crackers in bed and I would still watch it #content
I just watched Connie's video before this, and was excited when you brought up "The Future of RUclips" as your premise for this video. I've been watching RUclips consistently for ten years, and have had a stint or two of trying to create vlog-style content, but most recently in 2013. For the past five years, despite having the desire to make content for RUclips, I haven't done it. (Of course, this directly goes against the one consistent piece of advice for people who want to create, namely "create".) By why haven't I done it? I agree with you that viewers haven't necessarily lost interest in vloggers' personal lives. Referencing Connie's video, I don't think that "new"ness or "old"ness of the format affects viewership. That is, I definitely think that newer generations and sub-generations of viewers will find the same kinds of faces in the same performance scenarios to be entertaining and relatable, just as we did when we first joined the platform. But just as Connie said and you reiterated, the platform now is NOT experimental -- the departure of the company's video genres in favour of community-developed ones; the social need to fit in (community) but also stand out (authenticity/performance); the infiltration of brands into an already unsettling commercialisation model; professional production value; the sheer number of surface-level engagements and interactions within communities (see this comment section...) -- I think these act as barriers to entry for aspiring content creators, and are obstacles for true and sustainable community development. In order to start these days, I feel like I'd *need* a two-year plan. Or a five-year plan. Or an n-year plan, with video ideas hammered out, professional videomaking skills (or a team to do it for me), merch hot off the presses, a world tour booked for 2025 to commemorate my soon-to-be new book, and deliberate distance from viewers to keep myself from being affected by consuming *their* content, or more "importantly" to not run the risk of putting my foot in my mouth and sacrificing even one view. And as if this wasn't bleak enough an outlook, but I shouldn't have to be subject to automated accusations of "toeing the line" of, and shouldn't feel fear of being suppressed by, "Community Guidelines" that somehow still allow abusers, bigots, and truly horrible people to contribute unbridled. Many kudos to you and Connie for breaking down RUclips culture and initiating/contributing to this discussion. I've been really pissed for a long time at myself for not jumping in and creating, but I feel like it might not be worth it. TL;DR: In light of Connie's video and yours, what would you say to someone who has wanted to create for a long time, but feels like RUclips culture has too many barriers to entry, and feels that commercialisation is a ubiquitous evil?
The only thing I can think of is creating just for you and seeing who happens to watch, at least for now. That being said, obviously creating editing etc takes time, money, effort, that may not be entirely worth it without financial compensation. But at least it's an outlet and place to start?
As part of the same community and friendship groups as you back then this video hits the nail on the head as to why I stopped making videos and got out of RUclips. I remember the scandal and the community breaking up it was horrible. I miss my old friends and I miss the way everything was back then.
As a small RUclipsr, I've definitely noticed this shift with channels becoming more niche and people not sharing as much as they used to a few years ago. My channel is a mix of a lot of different types of videos and over the last few months I've been trying to change that but it's left me very confused. The algorithm does not work in my favour because the videos I want to make (Covers and artsy vlogs with original music mainly) take a while to make, so it's left me feeling a bit "Meh" about RUclips tbh. I do love seeing bigger creators branching out to other things though, I think not solely relying on RUclips as a source of income must feel nicer and allow you to enjoy making videos a bit more as you don't feel as much pressure for the video to get a certain amount of views. Loved this video Lucy & I look forward to seeing more content from you. Xx
definitely agree about the heyday of RUclips bit- I think part of it is the fact that even when bad stuff was happening like you said, it very much felt like it was a whole community coming together to solve a problem? it hasn't really felt that way to me in the past 2-3 years. it's a lot more cutthroat and every man for himself and kind of......people almost want to remove themselves from the situation rather than remove someone from the community. it's like, 'that's not me, it's other yters' and not 'that's not yters, it's you' in regards of people doing bad things. idk if that's good or bad or whatever. weirdly enough the one time I felt like the community was pulling together against something was the Logan Paul thing in the beginning of the year (was it this year?) when everyone was talking about how we should move forward, people were discussing respect, actually treating a topic seriously rather than make a bunch of drama update videos, etc.
This sort of time was inevitable I think. Even a few years ago, I used to think are these RUclipsrs going to keep going until they retire at 60? Then RUclips changed a bunch of stuff, making it harder for the next generation to take the reigns and harder for the existing generation, so everyone has started to find other sources of income
I miss the vlog style videos on RUclips - I found your personal videos more interesting and different. I understand that it must be tough for you tubers like how you used to be. I don’t really listen to people’s podcasts or read blogs, so for me this development is a shame :/
Same here. I personally find the fashion/lifestyle videos vapid and uninteresting. I miss Lucy's intelligent insight in "discussion" type videos. But I understand that's not what she wants to do anymore so I ain't mad.
This is a really important topic of discussion, and I think really shows the divide between the community and audience, because I don't know if they can be classed as the same thing anymore. There are people who engage and care about conversation and creators as the people they are, and then there are those who just see this as pure entertainment and don't actually take into account what the creator wants or who they are as long as the videos keep coming. I think that is one of the big things that changed what RUclips was, and I feel that happened at the very latest in 2012. When people came to this platform solely to make money and become famous, rather than create and share their voices, that was when this platform really shifted and why people look back at what RUclips was with nostalgia. I think as RUclips grew to this widely used platform, the audience changed and the community feeling dwindled and and more disingenuous people came along. RUclips is just so vast of a place with so many users in their own communities or scenes that it can't be spoken about as a whole, and even within those different areas of RUclips you can find the best and worst people. What RUclips is and how we all, creators and viewers alike, interact with and feel about the platform and the people using it is incredibly important but I just don't think a lot of people realise that this is so much more than just watching videos on the internet.
I agree with what you say. The sense of community and finding people relatable is what drew me to RUclips in the first place. I'm definitely watching a lot less RUclips today than I did 2012-2014. I think that's because I've unfollowed people who I thought became less authentic as their channels grew, or other people stopped doing RUclips. Maybe because of the reasons you mentioned. Also after the allegations and stories started coming out I lost a lot of interest in the platform. I felt like the sense of community wasn't the same any more, and that it hadn't been for awhile. Today I watch more twitch than RUclips. On twitch there will be people streaming together and it does feel authentic. I guess it reminds me of what I used to like about RUclips.
It’s really interesting to hear your perspective of that time on RUclips, it really was a dark period and it kinda felt like nobody knew what what going to become of the site and the community. I don’t think we’ve heard many people speak on the topic that were both in the industry and also so close (in age, gender, and personal connection) to the people in the community, it’s a big step in the right direction to see sanctions being put in place to prevent these situations from happening again. I think we’ve all come to a point where we’re a lot less tolerant of the shady things happening in this community, and I hope we get to a point where everyone (both viewer and creator) can feel like it’s the safe space RUclips should be.
Thank you for contributing to this dialogue. Do you think that RUclips could ever be a safe space? Should this be one of RUclips's goals? Or should it be a grassroots community goal?
RanzhaTheLoneVlogger I’d like to think that we could get RUclips to a place that felt a lot more safe and welcoming. I don’t know how much RUclips itself would contribute to that, we’re in a climate where views and engagement trump the outside actions of the creators themselves. I think that it’s the community itself that will need to make it clear to these people that we’re not going to stand for it anymore. Whether that be through the audience flat out not watching or the creators not engaging or working with them in the future. Places especially like SITC or VidCon should be safe spaces, yet there are still people that have done a lot of harm walking around every year. So in that instance I think the bigger companies should be proactive and not invite those people into these events. We’ll see if anything happens within the next few months with the most recent situation.
I feel like the "Golden Age" of RUclips was from 2012-2016, and from then on it started dropping off. I wish that I would've been making content during that era, because I can feel the decline of this platform when I'm just getting started with my channel. However, I feel like that could be potential motivation for vloggers, myself included, to put more effort in to "save the platform" or to put some life back into it. I wish it was still a place for authenticity and community, but until the "featured" creators of RUclips change it will continue to be extremely commercialized. Thank you for your thoughts, Luce! I love listening to your opinions on topics like this.
Lucy - a great video! I always enjoy watching thoughtful content creators talk about their work and their experiences of how the culture on RUclips is changing. You touched on so many of the things that I'm researching. I've recently pivoted to looking at how content creators work with and through platforms, technological affordances and algorithms, and how they make decisions about what types of content to make and where to post it. And how this in turn impacts upon their revenue potential and relationships with their audiences. What you said about the potential for creators to move to other platforms such as IGTV (and perhaps Facebook Watch?) as they figure out how to pay creators effectively is something that I've been hearing a lot during my fieldwork and I'm particularly interested in. I have to interview you at some point (if you're willing)!
I totally get the mental health aspect of all of this. Even as a someone who is in no way dependent on social media as an income tool it's sometimes hard in various ways. But I have the "luxury" to just delete everything if it gets too much. Noone cares. But since you depend on it I totally get how you would want to put out a more curated version and keep things private. Sure, in the olden days of youtube this was kind of the norm - put everything out there and that's how you get viewers. But I think (especially since the abuse controversies in 2014-15 and ongoing!) things have changed. That said, I've watched your content for years and am very excited about your podcast. :)
This is a personal opinion and I do not have proper data to back this up, but I feel like the change in the layout of RUclips's home page, channel page, and videos from the "classic" format (i would say circa 2010?) to what it's like today is a major cause in the shift from a community-based platform to a purely commercial one. Like, it's great that all these new jobs are being created and shaped by you Creators/Influencers (ugh @ that term, but you get the image), but I feel like nowadays it's very hard to find someone who gets on YT purely for enjoyment, not wanting to get monetized as you go on. And this is not to say that monetisation is bad, but maybe not having in mind that you have to follow certain rules/rhythms to accomodate an algorithm that's ultimately commercial makes for a more free creative experience and it probably feels more genuine.
I totally know what you mean! The lines become blurred because the youtubers are encouraged to follow more formulas which in turn are financially incentivised. You can’t grow your channel without doing the same things that earn Adsense as youtube penalises you otherwise
It doesn't matter how old the underage person looks. It is the adults responsibility to make sure the person they want to behave sexually towards is both of age and consenting. Always.
i agree so much with what you're saying about not being able to believe that chris ingham has had no sanctions imposed. in any other industry - banking, law, presenting/television - the accused would be suspended at least while a trial happened yet chris is allowed to carry on daily vlogging. regardless of whether they're hate views, his apology video is giving him money. its just unbelievable. cannot believe the leadership of youtube - was outraged by the logan paul scandal too. just ridiculous - but glad you're still here.
God, I wasn't aware the grooming crisis had repeated, how horrible. I was a giant British Vlogger fangirl back in the day and went from being someone who watched hours of vlogs from 10-15 channels that I cared a little too much about maybe, to very occasionally dropping in on channels like Lex Croucher, Marina Watanabe, Hannah Witton and more recently you. I am still invested in Liam Dryden's pensive outpouring since that whole situation and dip in and out of some old faves when I'm feeling nostalgic but I've not stayed up to date with the content of a male vlogger since then. I hadn't really ever reflected on that pattern before but it's clearly related to what happened at that time (I was in Alex Day's Google circles for 'loyal fans that commented and liked his videos a lot', never experienced any contact but ugh). Hopefully the RUclips community is stronger and more aware of the problem now. I also think that crisis may have been a starting point for a lot of my thoughts about sex education and consent, and coincided with my feminist awakening, so hopefully even though it's a horrible situation it inspires thoughtful reflection and further reading about rape culture and consent in a new generation of subscribers? Your channel is gorgeous and I'm sure you'll thrive whatever the medium x
I so agree, I have always loved more sit down videos and creative ones( with planning and editing) over following people around in their lives, which are so edited and prefect and portray a new wave of unrealistic goals. Following people around on their holidays that they didn't pay for or spending their days with huge other youtubers. People like David Dobrik however have taken the old sit down planning videos and developed that into creating vlogs that people watch and come back to all the time. Just some thoughts 😊
I have to agree with the comment that these videos analyzing RUclips trends are really not as important as you may think they are to your viewers. It feels like a bit of a cop out to essentially psycho analyze ‘the RUclipsr’ rather than simply briefly explain your situation and move on. For me, I think that you grew on RUclips in large part due to your vulnerability, openness and willingness to tackle tough questions. I’d hate to see tor channel change so drastically that you don’t share any personal information or talk about topics that we can all relate to
I was really confused by the title because I still watch all your beauty content, so I was like "uh...she didn't stop vlogging?" but I get it now. Meghan Tonjes has made really informed content about the changes of the platform and how to change and grow with it.
I've never really understood the specific definition of 'vlog' a lot of people seem to hold on to. For me, everything youtubers make is a vlog since to me it just means 'video blog' and a blog can be just about anything: personal, impersonal, about any topic you want, structured, unstructured, ... So to me you didn't stop vloggin at all (which made for some confusion seeing this video pop up since you've made content in the past month); but I'm starting to understand this topic a bit better now. There's not a lot of youtubers in my country (Belgium), and I've mainly been following the same set of British and American youtubers for 5 years now, who are very consistent in their output. The only difference I've seen there is just them becoming older and more mature.
Yeah agreed with you here, the meaning of vlog has totally changed. I think of vlogs as "sit-down" videos still, but really they're considered walking-and-talking videos now! I will still be making 168 hours, but not many of the sit down and chat videos
I think you hit the nail on the head that the 2014 grooming scandals marked the end of an era. For me it ruined the magic of the RUclips community and made both the creators and viewers step back a bit (if that makes sense?). It seemed to change from being lighthearted and carefree to slightly more serious and guarded... Also a lot of my friends stopped watching RUclips after that as we were getting older and just grew out of it. I still enjoy RUclips now but in a different way than back in 2012-2014.
I haven’t watched many of your videos, and I avoided watching this video at 1st. I thought it would be boring. Wrong! This was so interesting! I guess I’ve been watching RUclips for about 4 years. I’m quite a bit older, and none of my friends watch RUclips. So, it’s interesting to here the perception of younger people, and especially young women. Thanks for sharing!
I think vlogging is alright as long as it’s not done excessively. Privacy is a luxury, but a luxury everyone should be a able to enjoy at least occasionally (if not always). I can fully understand why you said you felt emotionally drained after vlogging for 150 days in a row and I’m excited to see what other nice lil videos you’ll upload here :))
I do have opinions and I'd love to leave a long thoughtful comment, but I'm tired and need to see things done before I can sleep. That being said. Thank you for sharing with us. I very much enjoyed hearing your insights.
I'm somehow torn because although I agree that grooming your audience is something that should never be condoned or ignored, especially when it's someone abusing their position and authority over others such as youtubers and their audience , I also feel that if RUclips were to demonetize or delete Chris Ingham's channel it would be a step in the direction of censorship over videos. RUclips is a platform that is advertised and presented as one that encourages creativity and ideas and freedom of opinions and as soon as you remove a person from the platform it's no longer a free environment it's one that is monitored and controlled by youtube, which could potentially lead to youtube only providing a platform to those who express ideas similar to those youtube holds. But again I'm torn as i don't think Chris Ingham is a good influence or a good person to have on the platform, especially if he keeps going on about his life as if nothing's happened. My point is the removal of someone off of a social media platform is a serious thing that shouldn't be taken lightly, I don't want it to become a habit where as soon as someone does something wrong they're erased from the internet.
There are loads of people in the world who are obsessive and who love youtube because it allowed them to creep on people in plain sight without consequences or retribution by law enforcement. I am personally sad to see the death of cute and personally reflective content and that the future is subject oriented content only. That people have to make podcasts where they have 100% content and viewer control before they feel safe enough to speak again about their personal thoughts and viewpoints. It would be better for youtube to fully die out than live this horrible sad half life. I love youtube, it has greatly enhanced my exposure to new viewpoints and circumstances around the globe but if people arent real anymore,just youtube curated businesses id rather them just keep to hauls and morning routines and life hacks and call it a day. Humanity is about connection and without open free spaces creators can feel safe to speak and fans can interact without being groomed youtube will slowly disentegrate into nothing. And maybe just maybe it deserves to this time.
Lucy, I just wanna say I love the videos that you put out and it’s awesome that you are loving the content that you are making right now! but personally, I think that there are ways you could still post vlog style videos without oversharing, maybe just pick topics that interest you to talk about without talking too much about your personal experience kind of like how you would in a podcast. I don’t think that educating your audience on important issues and using your platform for good means that you have to over share. but ultimately, it’s your choice about what content you want to create and what you are most passionate about
It’s I retesting because I always found vlogs either really boring, or if they were any good they just made me feel like shit about myself. I haven’t watched a vlog in years.
I totally understand that RUclips has turned out to not really support communities and creatives properly and I think it will one day be their downfall, because someone else will fill that void and creatives will go to a place where they are treated better and where they feel more in control..
I feel there is a big problem with all these platforms making money whilst the content of a creator enables him to approach underage people with sexual intentions. I know it’s not their fault but it is quite problematic
The power dynamic compounds with idolisation. Viewers idolise creators, which allows creators to groom/abuse. Creators idolise solvency, which allows companies to literally construct personified "brands", and abuse viewers'/creators' time. Fuck power abuse.
I’m going to have to agree that the peak of youtube was sometime around 2014, maybe into 2015 especially during the Casey neistat poster boy era. But I really miss the connection the community was able to have with the creator. I find now that link struggles to be found outside twitch now. In regards to abuse of fans I think it’s not just a issue with men, I think it’s an issue with the concept of fame. When people are besotted with another beyond just an appreciation of talent is when things go badly wrong. With hundreds of thousands of people telling you how incredible you are and having fans that adore you (or whatever you pretend to be online) it just becomes exploitation of power. Why men predominantly the culprit I don’t know. In the real world it’s easy to point the finger at men having the power and so they exploit it. However RUclips is a new platform and yet as far as we know the same thing has happened. Could this simply be because of the society we live in. For example: thousands of teenage boys sitting behind their computer screens watching a girl who does RUclips sounds a lot more weird and, well, err, grim? Then thousands of teenage girls watching joe sugg or Casper lee. Fundamentally I have absolutely no clue wtf is going on but as a bloke I’d just like to say not all men are the same. It’s possible we have a lot more outliers: maybe we have as many very bad people as very nice, and just maybe if you averaged the genders out on a niceness scale they may be equal.
I really like your videos and especially your chatty ‘get ready with me’s- but did I miss the point of Connie’s video that the death of the RUclipsr is basically that everything is becoming the same and everyone is making similar ‘content’ videos which are actually very far from their original, personality videos which made them popular in the first place? Therefore... they are dying out because everyone is becoming the same? I miss the more personal videos and in my mind, that was what made RUclips, I don’t really get this idea that the future is to not do those sort of videos - the fact that vlogging is not being done anymore IS the death of the RUclipsr... well known and liked YTs are now more wealthy that they’ve almost become unreachable and like a ‘celebrity’- I feel like I get more personal content on social media from actual celebrities than YTs, when that’s the point of the RUclips role in the first place 😩correct me if I’m wrong though, that’s just how I interpreted it and what I feel like has happened to RUclips generally
I love your content on youtube Lucy and want to listen to your podcast but don't have an iphone or itunes so this is v annoying, I wish it was on youtube! (if there is another easy way for me to access it please someone let me know) xx
Spotify would also be easier. But as far as I'm aware (and I definitely could be wrong 😂) itunes is only available to people who own apple products or can pay for apple music, so this cuts out some of your audience
I really do miss being in ‘RUclipsrs lives’ more I found a home in your content and like doddlevloggle especially with the authenticity. It was very important to me. I feel like you have distanced a lot and even on your blog have posted very base level discussions because you don’t allow yourself to be as vulnerable. I remember dealing with disordered eating and finally being able to ground it as a problem because of a video you put out on it. And I’m definitely sad you’ve deleted so much because I grew up a lot with you as sort of a big sister figure
It’s like the old RUclips vibe where every one feels like your friend and older sister is gone. Now you all have disappeared or are more famous or are backing off and I’m just growing more and more dissatisfied with RUclips because I’ve seen so many damn make up and skin care shit but no one is talking like a normal person anymore. It’s all content and not familiar
Me too! I loved watching that content and I miss it. I understand why it’s stopped though; when you get the kind of response that those videos resulted in, it became a question of how to protect everyone’s mental health.
This is such a mature evaluation of the change in youtube dynamics. A lot of older (as in, been on the platform for almost 10 years) youtubers have 'bitched' about it changing, primarily pointing out that due to the influx of new youtubers, they don't make as much $ as they did, but thats just the reality of social media and technological progression. Your outlook is so refreshing! Granted I miss your vlogs, this video really encompasses one of the reasons you remain one of my favorite youtubers.
Aprecciate this, thanks so much! But yeah, totally see what you're saying here, there has definitely been a trend of blaming other factors for the decline in RUclips-specific revenue or a decline in quality of content when really it's just that we need to adapt and enjoy what we have
What I've realized is what might be good for the content creator, may not be good for the content consumer.
Ooh food for thought for sure
I'm only at 4:20-ish but I think, as someone who has watched RUclipsrs regularly for many years, I preferred the introspective and personal videos, not for being nosey or anything, but I always found that more interesting, more diverse and more intelligent. In the past few years, I've found the 'big RUclipsrs' do very similar content than each other and less creative videos than the older bigger channels did. It's like RUclips as a website started rewarding drama and clickbait and being a dick and whatever and that pushed channels out or to adapt to what RUclips wanted... which wasn't variety anymore. I'm not talking about your channel here at all but in general on RUclips if there are a million or however many video on how to do make-up or a Primark haul or gossiping etc then it turns me off RUclips so much, both because less variety often means more boring and also because it feels more like it's putting people into boxes or something... I don't know... it just makes me kind of sad that RUclips used to be great and now it's going downhill to the point I used to click on several times a day and now I only click on a few times a week :(
I think what you're saying is true. After 2014, more people started getting channels so personal vlogs which aren't that really well produced and edited get less attention because they get promoted less on the algorithm and they are less put together so people could see everything on the less edited and planned videos and more. The type of content that became popular from the beginning is now not going to make you famous because it's been made more about planning and polished videos instead of switching a camera on and talking on the spot whatever comes to your mind. Also I think with the Chris Ingham issue, I think more people are speaking out against this behaviour but they still have a big fanbase so for as long as Logan Paul, Chris Ingham, veeoneeye and that type of people have an audience, RUclips will keep them there unless the law is changed to stop these people from being in this position of power because RUclips will keep these people on RUclips as they make money and to avoid fan complaints in the same way what some of what Donald Trump has said would have got him removed from twitter if he didn't have a large following and he wasn't the president. I think that this isn't just a RUclips problem, it's a social media problem for as long as there's this power difference, this will happen, even on IGTV but I think that eventually in the distant future companies will start sharing sites to avoid this power balance from the start and people will therefore move away from social media as we know it.
I might make a video response to this actually because I have a lot more I want to say about this.
After watching Connies video I found myself thinking may of the same thoughts you expressed in this video, so I really appreciate you doing this reply. I first started watching youtube back in 2008 with the vlog brothers. As a result I believe my opinion on "why youtube has changed" is vastly impacted from that perspective of seeing youtube as a way for people to actively communicate with one another. For me there were a couple of things that really changed youtube. No longer having reply videos disconnected parts of the community. I also really hate the up-voting of comments because I feel it actively decreases the ability for a random viewer to interact with another random viewers perspective. I think it is natural for a platform to change and honestly RUclips became bigger and that is not something that. Additionally I would completely agree that RUclips dramatically changed after the sexual harassment in the community came to light. Some RUclipsrs who I had actually met and had positive experiences with were exposed of sexual abuse and even rape. That was a hard pill to swallow, because I felt very lied to. I think that caused the whole community to progress with an air of caution, and forced there to more of a wall built between the "viewers" and the "content creators". To be fair, it was for good reason, but it was difficult to see.
I actually think that a big part of why youtubers channels "die" is precisely because they try to do too much while not really being... anything (not trying to be mean, sorry if I come across as rude): they do a book, then is a tour, then they drop music and next thing you know, they loose the following they initially had and they are back at square one, except now with less successful videos. Seen this too much to count.
Without putting my personal opinion on what I think about youtubers writing books or appearing in TV shows, if they focused more on their video content and less on graving any and every opportunity they can whilst they can, I think the story would be different 🤷♀️
While I appreciate you wanting to inform your audience that you stopped making vlogs due to burning out, I think that the most overused and boring subject that you tubers talk about is RUclips. The amount of videos about RUclips "changing" or RUclips being "hard" or RUclips "not being the same" or RUclips "communities" ... it's so tedious to me as a viewer. Nobody thinks about RUclips that much unless they are a RUclipsr. Most people just sit down and watch some videos to chill out and enjoy. Not trying to be rude I promise, but I think that sometimes RUclipsrs forget that they are not the centre of the world and that this is just a website you put videos on, it doesn't have to be so deep.
Giulia when you share such intimate parts of yourself and put so much work (and time, so much time) into something.... it _is_ that deep.
I think Lucy is making a video that is unique to others, it is more personal and less attacking of "RUclips" as a company. I think you should be more open minded especially considering how Lucy is talking about opening up and how she doesnt open up so much anymore💙
Copper Clouhds Open up about what? I'm not trying to be insensitive and would always be respectful about people talking about something deeply personal but there's nothing in this video that showed that. Lucy just said she burnt out and that 2014 was her favourite era for RUclips. Also I don't really care about people "attacking" RUclips, I'm just sick of people talking about it.
Siv Greyson Fair enough but considering every other entertainment industry has a level of professionalism and doesn't constantly talk about their format I think it shows a lack of self awareness. Millie Bobby Brown works for Netflix and her work goes on Netflix, but that doesn't mean she is always talking about Netflix and the goings on at Netflix and how Netflix has changed and that the people at Netflix used to be this or that and let's build up the Netflix community and whatever. No, she does her job for Netflix and that's it. Nobody wants to see her talk about the future of Netflix they want to see her be Eleven because that's what people love about her.
Completely agree, it’s so boring hearing people talk about RUclips constantly. Imagine writers just wrote about blogspot or Wordpress or other bloggers all the time, no one would read it.
I think it's two things, it's RUclipsrs that has lost interest in personal videos and also, when you know absolutely everything about a person, what is there left to know?
RUclips is the perfect storm for these grooming situations; it is easy for there to be a power imbalance between creator and viewer, and it is a platform for "fan-culture" in which normal people (who like any other person can be lovely, alright, or terrible) are idolized. This idolization and power-imbalance attracts the type of personalities that would "groom" vulnerable people. To stop situations like this from happening, a shift in how we view RUclipsrs needs to take place.
To me, there are so many parallels to the Catholic Church sex abuse scandals (of course the scale in the Church is much larger as the abuses are more widespread and have taken place over a much longer period of time): a regular person (priest, youtuber) is placed on a pedestal creating a power imbalance.
Thank you Lucy for this video - by talking about it you're facilitating a more open dialogue about issues like abuse within the RUclips community!
Does anyone remember World Of The Orange?? WOTO was the most wholesome and pure fun and pure funny bullshit that I always really valued in RUclips and their editing was hilarious, as a collab channel almost. I want them back :(
Doesn't one of them do editing for Pewdiepie now?
Not finished watching yet but I’m LOVING this video. I study Communications in uni and we’ve touched on RUclips and audience/fan studies here and there, but I really think about pursuing graduate studies purely to dive more into this topic. I’m not sure what the literature looks like on the current landscape on RUclips (i.e., these most recent years and the ways that channels and audiences have really changed [esp. beauty community with sponsorships, brand trips, etc.]) but the rise of RUclips and the RUclipsr fascinates me! Thank you for sharing your thoughts and insights. These are conversations that need to happen.
Hi Melissa. I'm doing a PhD about RUclips content creators at the London School of Economics and would be happy to give you some recommendations on readings if you want to pursue this area of study. It is indeed fascinating! :-D
Zoe Glatt that would be lovely!! Thank you for reaching out. ☺️
Do you have twitter? I can send you a message
Zoe Glatt yes - @melissadoreennn
@@meln.2868 Cool follow me back and I'll send you something!
I totally agree, the "Golden Age" of RUclips was 2012-2014. There was just a different vibe at the time, a lot of collaborations and people were growing but they weren't too big yet. I've felt this shift out of the Golden Age where, there's an attitude change (unfortunately in some cases), and there's a greater sense of commercialisation and less of community. When you have something as well established as RUclips has now become, after 13 years, you cannot avoid the complicated history and baggage that develops as you go along. But the viewers are also evolving as well. The young 14 year old viewer today, is very different to the 14 year old viewer a few years back. And it's no longer good enough to just, make a video and upload it. It needs to be planned and the videography and sound need to be good. This is now a business.
Really enjoyed hearing your views on YT, as always. I will literally watch anything you upload, you could be eating a packet of stale crackers in bed and I would still watch it #content
Peak/heyday: when crabsticks was running the game
I just watched Connie's video before this, and was excited when you brought up "The Future of RUclips" as your premise for this video.
I've been watching RUclips consistently for ten years, and have had a stint or two of trying to create vlog-style content, but most recently in 2013. For the past five years, despite having the desire to make content for RUclips, I haven't done it. (Of course, this directly goes against the one consistent piece of advice for people who want to create, namely "create".) By why haven't I done it?
I agree with you that viewers haven't necessarily lost interest in vloggers' personal lives. Referencing Connie's video, I don't think that "new"ness or "old"ness of the format affects viewership. That is, I definitely think that newer generations and sub-generations of viewers will find the same kinds of faces in the same performance scenarios to be entertaining and relatable, just as we did when we first joined the platform.
But just as Connie said and you reiterated, the platform now is NOT experimental -- the departure of the company's video genres in favour of community-developed ones; the social need to fit in (community) but also stand out (authenticity/performance); the infiltration of brands into an already unsettling commercialisation model; professional production value; the sheer number of surface-level engagements and interactions within communities (see this comment section...) -- I think these act as barriers to entry for aspiring content creators, and are obstacles for true and sustainable community development.
In order to start these days, I feel like I'd *need* a two-year plan. Or a five-year plan. Or an n-year plan, with video ideas hammered out, professional videomaking skills (or a team to do it for me), merch hot off the presses, a world tour booked for 2025 to commemorate my soon-to-be new book, and deliberate distance from viewers to keep myself from being affected by consuming *their* content, or more "importantly" to not run the risk of putting my foot in my mouth and sacrificing even one view. And as if this wasn't bleak enough an outlook, but I shouldn't have to be subject to automated accusations of "toeing the line" of, and shouldn't feel fear of being suppressed by, "Community Guidelines" that somehow still allow abusers, bigots, and truly horrible people to contribute unbridled.
Many kudos to you and Connie for breaking down RUclips culture and initiating/contributing to this discussion. I've been really pissed for a long time at myself for not jumping in and creating, but I feel like it might not be worth it.
TL;DR: In light of Connie's video and yours, what would you say to someone who has wanted to create for a long time, but feels like RUclips culture has too many barriers to entry, and feels that commercialisation is a ubiquitous evil?
The only thing I can think of is creating just for you and seeing who happens to watch, at least for now. That being said, obviously creating editing etc takes time, money, effort, that may not be entirely worth it without financial compensation. But at least it's an outlet and place to start?
As part of the same community and friendship groups as you back then this video hits the nail on the head as to why I stopped making videos and got out of RUclips. I remember the scandal and the community breaking up it was horrible. I miss my old friends and I miss the way everything was back then.
As a small RUclipsr, I've definitely noticed this shift with channels becoming more niche and people not sharing as much as they used to a few years ago. My channel is a mix of a lot of different types of videos and over the last few months I've been trying to change that but it's left me very confused. The algorithm does not work in my favour because the videos I want to make (Covers and artsy vlogs with original music mainly) take a while to make, so it's left me feeling a bit "Meh" about RUclips tbh.
I do love seeing bigger creators branching out to other things though, I think not solely relying on RUclips as a source of income must feel nicer and allow you to enjoy making videos a bit more as you don't feel as much pressure for the video to get a certain amount of views. Loved this video Lucy & I look forward to seeing more content from you. Xx
definitely agree about the heyday of RUclips bit- I think part of it is the fact that even when bad stuff was happening like you said, it very much felt like it was a whole community coming together to solve a problem? it hasn't really felt that way to me in the past 2-3 years. it's a lot more cutthroat and every man for himself and kind of......people almost want to remove themselves from the situation rather than remove someone from the community. it's like, 'that's not me, it's other yters' and not 'that's not yters, it's you' in regards of people doing bad things. idk if that's good or bad or whatever. weirdly enough the one time I felt like the community was pulling together against something was the Logan Paul thing in the beginning of the year (was it this year?) when everyone was talking about how we should move forward, people were discussing respect, actually treating a topic seriously rather than make a bunch of drama update videos, etc.
I love this. Thank you for posting this.
This is such an interesting take, thank you for sharing! I deffo see where you're coming from
Lucy Moon thank you for reading the whole thing 😅
RanzhaTheLoneVlogger ty!!
This sort of time was inevitable I think. Even a few years ago, I used to think are these RUclipsrs going to keep going until they retire at 60? Then RUclips changed a bunch of stuff, making it harder for the next generation to take the reigns and harder for the existing generation, so everyone has started to find other sources of income
I miss the vlog style videos on RUclips - I found your personal videos more interesting and different. I understand that it must be tough for you tubers like how you used to be. I don’t really listen to people’s podcasts or read blogs, so for me this development is a shame :/
Same here. I personally find the fashion/lifestyle videos vapid and uninteresting. I miss Lucy's intelligent insight in "discussion" type videos. But I understand that's not what she wants to do anymore so I ain't mad.
Thanks for understanding ❤️I'm sure there will be other youtubers who can fill that space for you - i'll keep my eyes peeled!
i missed these vlogs so much 💙😫 but i'm happy that you took time off of them 💙 love to see you happy and healthy!! 😄
This is a really important topic of discussion, and I think really shows the divide between the community and audience, because I don't know if they can be classed as the same thing anymore. There are people who engage and care about conversation and creators as the people they are, and then there are those who just see this as pure entertainment and don't actually take into account what the creator wants or who they are as long as the videos keep coming. I think that is one of the big things that changed what RUclips was, and I feel that happened at the very latest in 2012. When people came to this platform solely to make money and become famous, rather than create and share their voices, that was when this platform really shifted and why people look back at what RUclips was with nostalgia. I think as RUclips grew to this widely used platform, the audience changed and the community feeling dwindled and and more disingenuous people came along. RUclips is just so vast of a place with so many users in their own communities or scenes that it can't be spoken about as a whole, and even within those different areas of RUclips you can find the best and worst people. What RUclips is and how we all, creators and viewers alike, interact with and feel about the platform and the people using it is incredibly important but I just don't think a lot of people realise that this is so much more than just watching videos on the internet.
We understand xx ❤
I agree with what you say. The sense of community and finding people relatable is what drew me to RUclips in the first place. I'm definitely watching a lot less RUclips today than I did 2012-2014. I think that's because I've unfollowed people who I thought became less authentic as their channels grew, or other people stopped doing RUclips. Maybe because of the reasons you mentioned. Also after the allegations and stories started coming out I lost a lot of interest in the platform. I felt like the sense of community wasn't the same any more, and that it hadn't been for awhile. Today I watch more twitch than RUclips. On twitch there will be people streaming together and it does feel authentic. I guess it reminds me of what I used to like about RUclips.
I've been watching your videos for years now and I literally never skip them. I love your personality so much 💙
It’s really interesting to hear your perspective of that time on RUclips, it really was a dark period and it kinda felt like nobody knew what what going to become of the site and the community. I don’t think we’ve heard many people speak on the topic that were both in the industry and also so close (in age, gender, and personal connection) to the people in the community, it’s a big step in the right direction to see sanctions being put in place to prevent these situations from happening again. I think we’ve all come to a point where we’re a lot less tolerant of the shady things happening in this community, and I hope we get to a point where everyone (both viewer and creator) can feel like it’s the safe space RUclips should be.
Thank you for contributing to this dialogue.
Do you think that RUclips could ever be a safe space? Should this be one of RUclips's goals? Or should it be a grassroots community goal?
RanzhaTheLoneVlogger I’d like to think that we could get RUclips to a place that felt a lot more safe and welcoming. I don’t know how much RUclips itself would contribute to that, we’re in a climate where views and engagement trump the outside actions of the creators themselves. I think that it’s the community itself that will need to make it clear to these people that we’re not going to stand for it anymore. Whether that be through the audience flat out not watching or the creators not engaging or working with them in the future. Places especially like SITC or VidCon should be safe spaces, yet there are still people that have done a lot of harm walking around every year. So in that instance I think the bigger companies should be proactive and not invite those people into these events. We’ll see if anything happens within the next few months with the most recent situation.
thanks for the real talk lucy! always appreciate how candid you are.
I appreciate your thoughts and I completely agree! x
I feel like the "Golden Age" of RUclips was from 2012-2016, and from then on it started dropping off. I wish that I would've been making content during that era, because I can feel the decline of this platform when I'm just getting started with my channel. However, I feel like that could be potential motivation for vloggers, myself included, to put more effort in to "save the platform" or to put some life back into it. I wish it was still a place for authenticity and community, but until the "featured" creators of RUclips change it will continue to be extremely commercialized. Thank you for your thoughts, Luce! I love listening to your opinions on topics like this.
Lucy - a great video! I always enjoy watching thoughtful content creators talk about their work and their experiences of how the culture on RUclips is changing. You touched on so many of the things that I'm researching. I've recently pivoted to looking at how content creators work with and through platforms, technological affordances and algorithms, and how they make decisions about what types of content to make and where to post it. And how this in turn impacts upon their revenue potential and relationships with their audiences. What you said about the potential for creators to move to other platforms such as IGTV (and perhaps Facebook Watch?) as they figure out how to pay creators effectively is something that I've been hearing a lot during my fieldwork and I'm particularly interested in. I have to interview you at some point (if you're willing)!
Will you still do 168 hours?
Always! A new one went up two weeks ago x
love how genuine this is !
I totally get the mental health aspect of all of this. Even as a someone who is in no way dependent on social media as an income tool it's sometimes hard in various ways. But I have the "luxury" to just delete everything if it gets too much. Noone cares. But since you depend on it I totally get how you would want to put out a more curated version and keep things private. Sure, in the olden days of youtube this was kind of the norm - put everything out there and that's how you get viewers. But I think (especially since the abuse controversies in 2014-15 and ongoing!) things have changed. That said, I've watched your content for years and am very excited about your podcast. :)
Thank you! I hope you enjoy the podcast xx
Completely understand Lucy! It has to be extremely hard to show your entire life to the world. Excited for the podcast!
This is a personal opinion and I do not have proper data to back this up, but I feel like the change in the layout of RUclips's home page, channel page, and videos from the "classic" format (i would say circa 2010?) to what it's like today is a major cause in the shift from a community-based platform to a purely commercial one. Like, it's great that all these new jobs are being created and shaped by you Creators/Influencers (ugh @ that term, but you get the image), but I feel like nowadays it's very hard to find someone who gets on YT purely for enjoyment, not wanting to get monetized as you go on. And this is not to say that monetisation is bad, but maybe not having in mind that you have to follow certain rules/rhythms to accomodate an algorithm that's ultimately commercial makes for a more free creative experience and it probably feels more genuine.
I totally know what you mean! The lines become blurred because the youtubers are encouraged to follow more formulas which in turn are financially incentivised. You can’t grow your channel without doing the same things that earn Adsense as youtube penalises you otherwise
It doesn't matter how old the underage person looks. It is the adults responsibility to make sure the person they want to behave sexually towards is both of age and consenting. Always.
Totally agree
First of all i love this kind of videos, i love when you talk about this kind of things.
I would love to hear your podcast on spotify or soundcloud
i agree so much with what you're saying about not being able to believe that chris ingham has had no sanctions imposed. in any other industry - banking, law, presenting/television - the accused would be suspended at least while a trial happened yet chris is allowed to carry on daily vlogging. regardless of whether they're hate views, his apology video is giving him money. its just unbelievable. cannot believe the leadership of youtube - was outraged by the logan paul scandal too. just ridiculous - but glad you're still here.
God, I wasn't aware the grooming crisis had repeated, how horrible. I was a giant British Vlogger fangirl back in the day and went from being someone who watched hours of vlogs from 10-15 channels that I cared a little too much about maybe, to very occasionally dropping in on channels like Lex Croucher, Marina Watanabe, Hannah Witton and more recently you. I am still invested in Liam Dryden's pensive outpouring since that whole situation and dip in and out of some old faves when I'm feeling nostalgic but I've not stayed up to date with the content of a male vlogger since then. I hadn't really ever reflected on that pattern before but it's clearly related to what happened at that time (I was in Alex Day's Google circles for 'loyal fans that commented and liked his videos a lot', never experienced any contact but ugh). Hopefully the RUclips community is stronger and more aware of the problem now.
I also think that crisis may have been a starting point for a lot of my thoughts about sex education and consent, and coincided with my feminist awakening, so hopefully even though it's a horrible situation it inspires thoughtful reflection and further reading about rape culture and consent in a new generation of subscribers?
Your channel is gorgeous and I'm sure you'll thrive whatever the medium x
I so agree, I have always loved more sit down videos and creative ones( with planning and editing) over following people around in their lives, which are so edited and prefect and portray a new wave of unrealistic goals. Following people around on their holidays that they didn't pay for or spending their days with huge other youtubers. People like David Dobrik however have taken the old sit down planning videos and developed that into creating vlogs that people watch and come back to all the time. Just some thoughts 😊
Totally agree, David has the perfect balance! I love vlogs so long as there's thought that has gone into them
I have to agree with the comment that these videos analyzing RUclips trends are really not as important as you may think they are to your viewers. It feels like a bit of a cop out to essentially psycho analyze ‘the RUclipsr’ rather than simply briefly explain your situation and move on. For me, I think that you grew on RUclips in large part due to your vulnerability, openness and willingness to tackle tough questions. I’d hate to see tor channel change so drastically that you don’t share any personal information or talk about topics that we can all relate to
I was really confused by the title because I still watch all your beauty content, so I was like "uh...she didn't stop vlogging?" but I get it now. Meghan Tonjes has made really informed content about the changes of the platform and how to change and grow with it.
I've never really understood the specific definition of 'vlog' a lot of people seem to hold on to. For me, everything youtubers make is a vlog since to me it just means 'video blog' and a blog can be just about anything: personal, impersonal, about any topic you want, structured, unstructured, ... So to me you didn't stop vloggin at all (which made for some confusion seeing this video pop up since you've made content in the past month); but I'm starting to understand this topic a bit better now. There's not a lot of youtubers in my country (Belgium), and I've mainly been following the same set of British and American youtubers for 5 years now, who are very consistent in their output. The only difference I've seen there is just them becoming older and more mature.
Yeah agreed with you here, the meaning of vlog has totally changed. I think of vlogs as "sit-down" videos still, but really they're considered walking-and-talking videos now! I will still be making 168 hours, but not many of the sit down and chat videos
I think you hit the nail on the head that the 2014 grooming scandals marked the end of an era. For me it ruined the magic of the RUclips community and made both the creators and viewers step back a bit (if that makes sense?). It seemed to change from being lighthearted and carefree to slightly more serious and guarded... Also a lot of my friends stopped watching RUclips after that as we were getting older and just grew out of it. I still enjoy RUclips now but in a different way than back in 2012-2014.
Please please please upload your Podcast to Spotify💕
Working on it!
I haven’t watched many of your videos, and I avoided watching this video at 1st. I thought it would be boring. Wrong! This was so interesting! I guess I’ve been watching RUclips for about 4 years. I’m quite a bit older, and none of my friends watch RUclips. So, it’s interesting to here the perception of younger people, and especially young women. Thanks for sharing!
I think vlogging is alright as long as it’s not done excessively. Privacy is a luxury, but a luxury everyone should be a able to enjoy at least occasionally (if not always). I can fully understand why you said you felt emotionally drained after vlogging for 150 days in a row and I’m excited to see what other nice lil videos you’ll upload here :))
I do have opinions and I'd love to leave a long thoughtful comment, but I'm tired and need to see things done before I can sleep. That being said. Thank you for sharing with us. I very much enjoyed hearing your insights.
I'm somehow torn because although I agree that grooming your audience is something that should never be condoned or ignored, especially when it's someone abusing their position and authority over others such as youtubers and their audience , I also feel that if RUclips were to demonetize or delete Chris Ingham's channel it would be a step in the direction of censorship over videos. RUclips is a platform that is advertised and presented as one that encourages creativity and ideas and freedom of opinions and as soon as you remove a person from the platform it's no longer a free environment it's one that is monitored and controlled by youtube, which could potentially lead to youtube only providing a platform to those who express ideas similar to those youtube holds. But again I'm torn as i don't think Chris Ingham is a good influence or a good person to have on the platform, especially if he keeps going on about his life as if nothing's happened. My point is the removal of someone off of a social media platform is a serious thing that shouldn't be taken lightly, I don't want it to become a habit where as soon as someone does something wrong they're erased from the internet.
That’s a v interesting take! Thanks for sharing x
Your blog looks so chic Lucy! I really enjoyed hearing your thoughts! I'm excited to listen to your podcast.
There are loads of people in the world who are obsessive and who love youtube because it allowed them to creep on people in plain sight without consequences or retribution by law enforcement. I am personally sad to see the death of cute and personally reflective content and that the future is subject oriented content only. That people have to make podcasts where they have 100% content and viewer control before they feel safe enough to speak again about their personal thoughts and viewpoints. It would be better for youtube to fully die out than live this horrible sad half life. I love youtube, it has greatly enhanced my exposure to new viewpoints and circumstances around the globe but if people arent real anymore,just youtube curated businesses id rather them just keep to hauls and morning routines and life hacks and call it a day. Humanity is about connection and without open free spaces creators can feel safe to speak and fans can interact without being groomed youtube will slowly disentegrate into nothing. And maybe just maybe it deserves to this time.
Feel like 3/5 of your videos are about MAKING videos and the state of yt😑
If you don’t like it, unsubscribe 🤷♀️
Lucy, I just wanna say I love the videos that you put out and it’s awesome that you are loving the content that you are making right now! but personally, I think that there are ways you could still post vlog style videos without oversharing, maybe just pick topics that interest you to talk about without talking too much about your personal experience kind of like how you would in a podcast. I don’t think that educating your audience on important issues and using your platform for good means that you have to over share. but ultimately, it’s your choice about what content you want to create and what you are most passionate about
It’s ok I understand
It’s I retesting because I always found vlogs either really boring, or if they were any good they just made me feel like shit about myself. I haven’t watched a vlog in years.
I totally understand that RUclips has turned out to not really support communities and creatives properly and I think it will one day be their downfall, because someone else will fill that void and creatives will go to a place where they are treated better and where they feel more in control..
Short question. What happened with this grooming thing? I never heared from it. Can somebody explain this to me?
Lucy can you see if you could upload your podcast in Spotify for those of us who doesn't use itunes?
I know this is not at all related to the topic at hand, but what happened to the Banging Book Club?
You're always so eloquent and insightful - wonderful vid as always xx
I'm from the BecauseTheInternet era, those for me were the golden years
I'm looking forward to listening to your podcast! I can't seem to find it outside of iTunes though - do you have an RSS link or something?
Anyone else having issues loading this video? I constantly get “something went wrong”
There are more well-made videos/channels on RUclips these days than half a decade ago. Channels like Kaptain Kristian are amazing.
I loooove Kaptain Kristian!!
Yay my fav type of lucy moon vids is back ☺
I feel there is a big problem with all these platforms making money whilst the content of a creator enables him to approach underage people with sexual intentions. I know it’s not their fault but it is quite problematic
The power dynamic compounds with idolisation.
Viewers idolise creators, which allows creators to groom/abuse.
Creators idolise solvency, which allows companies to literally construct personified "brands", and abuse viewers'/creators' time.
Fuck power abuse.
We understand love xx
Yes, and why did Friends end? And why did Seinfeld end? Things drag on for too long and people move on. That's no different for RUclips and RUclipsrs.
Love all your videos .
I’m going to have to agree that the peak of youtube was sometime around 2014, maybe into 2015 especially during the Casey neistat poster boy era. But I really miss the connection the community was able to have with the creator. I find now that link struggles to be found outside twitch now.
In regards to abuse of fans I think it’s not just a issue with men, I think it’s an issue with the concept of fame. When people are besotted with another beyond just an appreciation of talent is when things go badly wrong. With hundreds of thousands of people telling you how incredible you are and having fans that adore you (or whatever you pretend to be online) it just becomes exploitation of power.
Why men predominantly the culprit I don’t know. In the real world it’s easy to point the finger at men having the power and so they exploit it. However RUclips is a new platform and yet as far as we know the same thing has happened. Could this simply be because of the society we live in.
For example: thousands of teenage boys sitting behind their computer screens watching a girl who does RUclips sounds a lot more weird and, well, err, grim? Then thousands of teenage girls watching joe sugg or Casper lee.
Fundamentally I have absolutely no clue wtf is going on but as a bloke I’d just like to say not all men are the same. It’s possible we have a lot more outliers: maybe we have as many very bad people as very nice, and just maybe if you averaged the genders out on a niceness scale they may be equal.
hm. youtubers are byproducts of the internet. check out the doc "We Live In Public"
💜
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I love vlogging, but looking at other bloggers video look so professional really scares me😂. Like isn’t it supposed to be simple?
i loved this.
What happened with bingham? I can't see anything online about this?
The surname of the guy Lucy is talking about is Ingham, I think you might be thinking of a different youtuber
Thanks for the clarification
I really like your videos and especially your chatty ‘get ready with me’s- but did I miss the point of Connie’s video that the death of the RUclipsr is basically that everything is becoming the same and everyone is making similar ‘content’ videos which are actually very far from their original, personality videos which made them popular in the first place? Therefore... they are dying out because everyone is becoming the same? I miss the more personal videos and in my mind, that was what made RUclips, I don’t really get this idea that the future is to not do those sort of videos - the fact that vlogging is not being done anymore IS the death of the RUclipsr... well known and liked YTs are now more wealthy that they’ve almost become unreachable and like a ‘celebrity’- I feel like I get more personal content on social media from actual celebrities than YTs, when that’s the point of the RUclips role in the first place 😩correct me if I’m wrong though, that’s just how I interpreted it and what I feel like has happened to RUclips generally
Because it gets boring after a while..
I love your content on youtube Lucy and want to listen to your podcast but don't have an iphone or itunes so this is v annoying, I wish it was on youtube! (if there is another easy way for me to access it please someone let me know) xx
Spotify would also be easier. But as far as I'm aware (and I definitely could be wrong 😂) itunes is only available to people who own apple products or can pay for apple music, so this cuts out some of your audience
You can listen on the Acast app, and I’m working on getting it to Spotify!
💛 2014 💛
Hi,
How are you?
am I the only one who can literally never hear her in any video
2009-2012 was the best
ily and your vids soooo much lucy xx
Export traveler dry car juice drag circuit indeed trap knife paint.
I see NASA mug, I like.
First! Love you lucy
for making this video lol
Enough make up?
❤ ❤ Sending hugs, heart wishes and soul cuggles 🌊🎆🌰 ✨ ✌💋
Strength , love and light always kitty 😇 ❤❤💕 xoxo