I first discovered the beauty & fashion community on Youtube and blogging about five years ago when the likes of lollipop26, juicystar07 and Charlieissocoolike were just starting their own videos. I loved the idea of people making videos on topics which can sometimes be considered as shallow and unskilled to an average person on the street however I had an interest in it all from a very young age so to be able to share ideas with people who had similar interests was great, it was own little secret world I would get home from school and watch videos on 'what's in my bag tag' 'current favourite' and my personal favourite when I was younger the famous 'make up collection'. The last couple of years we have seen a complete change in the way we communicate and perceive the internet it was once seen as a place for online games, email and online shopping but now has become a main source of income for many people. Due to traditional media like magazines and newspapers it is a lot more accepted to have a career as a blogger or a youtuber.
I remember back in Intermediate 2 Business Management we were allowed 10 minutes free time on the internet I had spent the night before scrolling through a blog I had found online so straight away logged back onto my blogger account and started reading it again - that blog was Zoella. Unless you have been living under a rock for the last 12 months then you'll be completely aware of the stardom and fame that she has received but how much is too much? An all expenses paid trip to America, a shopping spree at Topshop, a group of screaming girls who have travelled thousands of miles to meet you or an invite to the BAFTAS.
Within the space of a year or so Zoe has gained over 4 million subscribers - crazy I know! However the question that I wanna know is do we actually know these youtubers? The answer is no. Just like everyone else youtubers can decide what they want to show you online. Now I am not trying say that they are all fake or pretending to be someone they are not but they are not going to be 100% honest with you. Are you 100% honest with everyone you meet?Probably not. Everyone is different around certain people for example your parents, your friends, teachers, bosses even your granny, it's natural and this is what I am trying to get at. These people are admired by many girls (and boys) all over the world but they are giving you a filtered version of themselves, I am not saying this is a bad thing but I think many of us viewers put the youtubers on a huge platform where they are looked upon to be so perfect and amazing when in fact they are not, no one is.
Every video that goes into your subscription box is given you a tiny bit more of an insight into their lives and in doing so you are compiling an image of someone who you idolise shall we say but it is just an edited version of themselves and that is so important to remember.
The media are famous for it too they put certain celebrities on massive pedestal for a number of months, years even but within a matter of minutes they are dropped like a hot potato. It wasn't so long ago that Cheryl Cole was on every single celebrity magazine, gossip site and tabloid newspaper and I will admit it, I loved her. If Heat magazine were to mention that Cheryl wore a certain foundation I most likely went out and bought it. I spent ages last week googling what lipstick Kylie Jenner wears because I wanted to have that famous nude lip colour she has been wearing recently. But the difference is that I don't admire these people as deep down I know that they are only showing you want you want to see.
In a completely non hipster way I would love to go back to when Youtube wasn't so mainstream and my mum had absolutely no idea of who Zalfie were but I know myself that it is never going to happen, I'd be foolish to think so. Although I would love the relationship between the viewer and the creator to come a little closer together and for people to realise that they are ONLY people who post on the internet.
