It might not be accepted, but being a YouTuber is hard work. At least at higher levels, it is. When you have millions of people waiting on your work there is immense pressure.
That’s why people like Julian Smith and Bobby Burns end up taking breaks from their careers. Fans and the community at large are not always supportive of these breaks, or at least the creators are fearful that they won’t be.
Working so much, with so much pressure and no break leads to YouTuber burnout, and not enough people are talking about it.
Linus Tech Tips And PewDiePie Show The Scale Of The Problem
A few weeks ago PewDiePie posted a video finally announced his much-needed break. He had joked about it for a long time, but when the time came he went for it. Good thing too, since it could have caused him some serious psychological stress.
Recently Linus of Linus Tech Tips posted a Livestream in honor of reaching 10 million subscribers. It was less of a celebration and more of a 30-minute heartbreak.
Linus has very clearly put his heart and soul into his channel. At a time when YouTubers were solo acts, he turned his into a company despite the massive overheads. More than that, he helped a ‘Make a Wish’ kid, and yet felt like he wasn’t making a difference.
Yet he seems unable, or rather unwilling, to do what he really wants and step down.
The Psychological Toll Of The Spotlight
It seems for both PewDiePie and Linus, taking a break isn’t as easy as it needs to be. Ever since Pewds took a break his subreddit has been full of people wanting him back.
Looking at the Linus Tech Tips’ video, its comment section is filled with people asking him not to leave or suggesting he take a ‘break’ rather than retire completely.
As well-meaning and loving as these posts are, they most certainly take a toll. Being either PewDiePie or Linus and seeing these posts constantly makes staying away difficult.
An Open Letter To Linus And PewDiePie
I want to finish off this piece by saying something. Not only to Linus and PewDiePie but to any YouTuber who feels this sort of pressure on them.
It’s okay to walk away. Not just take a break. Not just go on Hiatus. If you feel you need to stop, you should stop. As fans, it might be hard to give up on seeing your content ever again, but your mental health is more important than more free content.
As fans and content consumers, we need to learn to let people go. Especially when they really need to leave.
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