I have had the privilege of being invited as a social media correspondent to the Vanity Fair and Access Hollywood pre-Oscar event this week. As a result of this assignment (and one given to scores of others) – I had the opportunity to meet, greet and laugh with three “youtubers” – iJustine, Joey Garceffa and Tyler Oakley. They couldn’t have been nicer to this 50+ year old woman. And, I learned a lot- which is not surprising considering that each have millions and millions of views on their videos. (I get excited when I have 500 views on one of my videos!)
What I found interesting during their panel discussion that kicked off the Vanity Fair Social Club (VFSC,) was their candor and recognition that times are changing in the world of media.
Do they watch TV? Not much.
Have they been to a theater recently? No not really.
What about their families – are they encouraging and supportive to their endeavors on YouTube and beyond? Absolutely- agreed all three.
How about bullying and haters? Each had a different take on this topic – Now my interest really was piqued! Justine and Joey both agreed that part of the “job” were the haters. But, Tyler took the topic one step further with his discussion of the TREVOR PROJECT – a program that was implemented to put the spotlight on helping those who feel emotionally desperate and/or suicidal. (Now this IS the power of Youtube- helping others- #SocialGood)
Read more about the TREVOR PROJECT here.
What really interested me was that these three were on totally different paths and found that creating YouTube videos, that started as a casual “hobby”, resulted in a very marketable entertainment brand for each and everyone of them.
Justine, Joey and Tyler all have different platforms on their videos. Usually discussing current events and the “state” of their world. Learn more about the insights of this dynamic trio by clicking on these links to get a look in to their channels:
Happy Oscars everyone! Stay tuned for more random musings, including photos, from the desk of this social media correspondent! Follow me all week via the Vanity Fair Social Club on TWITTER as @LouiseASL #VFSC
