Welcome readers to another one of my blog entries, if you like what you’ve read, then hit the like button, and comment if you want to chime in with anything that can create a conversation in the comment section. Do all those good things that make a page grow. Also, you can support me by following my blog site. This way you’ll be notified when my next blog is published. I am because we are; that’s Ubuntu. As always, peace and keep it real.
Although my self-improvement was silent, my return will be loud and everyone who doubted me will take notice. -TheRhymeRula
So, a friend of mine recently sent me a YouTube video regarding the recent reappearance of YouTube content creator (Nickcado Avocado) and his surprising reintroduction after a two-year hiatus. Full disclosure, this blog entry will briefly reference this YouTube personality because I want to explain my perspective in a more general sense. Specifically, aspects that could affect content creators like him (Nickcado Avocado) instead of looking at it from a myopic outlook. That said, whether we create content online, enjoy the content as a viewer/fan, or don’t partake in any of those things, we all have a personal brand that we need to remain true to, maintain, and protect, in real life and online. However, some individuals ignore this and drastically change their brand in a way that is detrimental to their image. As a result, this causes a loss of credibility and jeopardizes authenticity. Furthermore, I’m not a YouTube content creator (I do have a channel with a few videos) but I think in terms of being a YouTube personality, content creators who’ve made undesirable changes quickly realized that their content began receiving less attention and respect it once had and this consequently caused fans to become judgmental and resort to lambasting their favorite content creators because the content deviated from its original premise.
Many curious, disoriented, and disgruntled individuals traverse the internet in search of stories, knowledge, conflicts, and rivalries. Some of these online consumers are committed to contributing to the collective growth whereas others have devious intentions and can contribute to the demise of a content creator’s career. Moreover, I’m inclined to believe that popular YouTube personalities such as Nickcado Avocado and others who’ve embarked on a dangerous path of destroying their health and regaining it will possibly cause their fan base to lose trust, question their authenticity, or stop supporting them altogether. Conversely, concerning his situation, you’ll have fans who are proud of their favorite content creators’ achievements and will forgive them for being on a hiatus and then making a surprise return. Meanwhile, you’ll have others like myself who are ambivalent and skeptical in the case of Nickcado Avocado. To put it another way, regardless if our reactions are positive or negative, we’re all products of influence as long we remain consumers of online media, so it’s important in my opinion to not become attached or feel guilty if you disengage from content that you don’t deem as constructive or doesn’t align with your values and beliefs.
We must be cognizant of how we conduct ourselves as consumers of online media because some individuals become too infatuated, overzealous, and attached to their favorite online personalities and that can lead to uncomfortable and unsafe situations like crossing boundaries and infringing on privacy. Additionally, online personalities receive attention, validation, and even hate once they gain notoriety which is something I can only imagine is strenuous. In terms of reprimanding inappropriate activity, aside from blocking and reporting user accounts that are harassing the space, online personalities can’t control the behavior or the intentions of their viewership. What’s even more precarious and possibly perilous is the type of individuals they’re entertaining and interacting with are unknown and these public figures don’t know what the person behind a username can do if provoked. By the same token, some online personalities have established manufactured identities that they’ve created to protect their image from being manipulated or tarnished. And it’s this kind of protection of privacy that mystifies their viewership into wanting more than what they’re provided. Moreover, I’m sure many would agree with me that online personalities are not obligated to owe their viewership things they’re not willing or comfortable providing. To further illustrate a previous point, this can be seen as an affront to discontented fans because that online personality failed to satisfy their expectations. Therefore, whatever transpires from that can be damaging to all parties involved.
All things considered, online personalities need to be emphatic about regulating and setting firm boundaries that will ensure a welcoming safe place for audience members to enjoy their content, respecting everyone even if differences arise, and establishing an authentic space that attracts an audience that reflects their values. Failure to enforce these stipulations can result in unwanted outcomes that can negatively impact the content and the reputation of online personalities. As such, I speculate that Nickavdo will continue to receive positive and negative feedback about his physical transformation and resurgence on YouTube. Those reactions are inevitable when a public figure amasses a huge following. On a final note, just because you have access to the internet and can create an account on any media platform doesn’t guarantee that you’ll attain popularity and success. Not to mention, some might not have the resilience to continue when faced with adversities such as failing to meet their audience’s expectations. In other words, regardless of popularity, the harsh reality is that, everyone isn’t meant to be a content creator because it takes a lot of dedication and commitment to consistently provide content that is insightful, relevant, and beneficial.
Real Free - Flowing Words 
A couple of thoughts here, both of content creators and being a content creator (if we can call blogging that) myself. The first is that I remember an ASMR creator that I used to follow on Youtube, Olivia Kissper. Olivia quit making ASMR videos suddenly and unexpectedly and claimed that people are “addicted” to ASMR; that they are using it as an alternative to therapy. To further the damage from that comment she compared – out loud – ASMR to heroin, sparking widespread backlash. She lost thousands of followers in weeks and was lambasted on Youtube by other content creators for her comments. I understand that her views probably caused a lot of hurt and upset, but did she deserve the retaliation she got? I don’t think so. At the end of the day, she has every right and reason to feel however she feels and to take her life along the path that feels right for her. For some people, authenticity is more important than money, perhaps as it should be for all of us.
As a content creator/blogger myself, I used aliases for everyone outside of my immediate family, to protect their (and my) identity. I don’t care whether or not my readers hate that. If they can’t accept my boundaries then there are plenty of other blogs they can go read, and plenty of other people who do enjoy my work.
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