Are Youtubers the newest professionals in town?

I was reminded recently that it is possible to make money doing absolutely anything, if what I have observed on the internet is to be believed. During her 'screen allocation time', our youngest likes to watch YouTube videos of 'YouTubers', which is a community of people who showcase whatever they have to offer on YouTube.

There are two types of YouTubers from what I've seen when she insists I should watch some of the videos with her. First, there are the passion-filled, often self-taught 'experts' in various fields – cooking enthusiasts, fitness buffs, hair stylists, make-up artists. I have no problem watching what they have to offer because it is clear they have useful information or knowledge to share with interested viewers. Neither do I have a problem understanding how they earn money – which is mostly from product placement. They usually name and display these items with a flourish thereby giving the brands great visibility and mileage. And of course, making it seem more personal sells the product even further. Alternatively, they could have companies sponsor them to sell their products. In return, the cheques start rolling in and everyone is happy.

Some of these characters are really interesting. Among the many make-up artists is one young man who is such an expert on the subject that he not only uploads videos of himself applying various lotions and potions on his clients' faces, but he also wears it! Lots of it! I have actually watched him apply the stuff on his own face from scratch, complete with winged eyebrows and fake lashes. By the time he is done, it is hard to tell that he's actually a guy just from looking. Did I mention he also wears head wraps?

But it's the second type of YouTubers that have me scratching my head in wonder. These ones upload videos of themselves just living life. I am told they are called lifestyle vloggers and they basically film everything about their day – from wake up to bedtime and share this with viewers (that there are people who spend time watching other people live their own lives is something I find very strange). Then again, snapchat is popular for exactly that same reason.

I have watched some who switch on the camera while they are literally still in bed before proceeding to spell out what they intend to do that day. This could include going to the mall to buy a pair of socks (for crying out loud!) before having lunch because they are hungry (duh!) and then heading home to get some work done before heading out again to the gym and then back home again to toss a salad. Their running commentary is peppered with pouting lips, excessive hair fingering and words like "I'm soooo excited..."; "aaaand..."; "so guys..."; "I missed you guys..."; "I love you guys..." ("guys" in this case refers to the nameless, faceless viewers they have never met). There is also "My OOTD (outfit of the day)" and "My OOTN (outfit of the night)" and always a kiss at the end of the video plus a reminder to "share" and "subscribe". Huh??

One YouTuber talked about how excited she was to clean out her bedroom. While she was doing it, she came across clothes she no longer wore and set them aside for her viewers to buy. I would have thought after making them watch nothing, the least she could do was give the clothes away? These guys share everything about themselves – from their hoarse morning voices and bouts of flu to how they plan to dye their hair or spray tan their bodies before going on holiday. And people watch. Some even subscribe and 'follow'. Mind you, this is what they call 'work' and I am told that in order for them to reach the million-viewer mark (after which you are highly likely to attract advertising and some cash), they must upload videos daily whether they are in the mood or not.  

After filming, they must edit and then produce a seamless, natural monologue of 'interesting' stuff about their lives. I am also told this is a full-time job for some, and that there are already millionaires who are barely out of their teens. Besides the lifestyle vlogs(that is what the videos are called), there are some really strange videos where they do stuff like smashing eggs on the floor, or destroying iPhones by any means possible. But the strangest are the ones who deliberately hurt themselves by, for example, eating cactus, drinking gallons of hot sauce or 50 raw eggs in one sitting, eating tablespoons of cinnamon or dry flour, just to see what the effects will be. What is incredible is that they too, earn money from this. Someone remind me why my parents struggled to put me through school?