This article was written and submitted by Mohammed, a Youtuber, via Cardiff Youth Service.

What is it like to be a Youtuber?

I am a YouTuber and each day of YouTube is different. There have been days that I have worked for hours on end and days that I barely work at all… days where I am proud of what we’ve achieved and days I question why I even started. But no matter what challenges crop up, I persevere.

Why did you start Youtube?

I remember 9 year-old me watching YouTube and confessing “I want to be a YouTuber”. Eight years later, that dream is a reality. I remember the evening that we made our channel. Pressing that button was one of the best things that has ever happened to me.

Can anyone start a Youtube channel?

I haven’t got nearly as much gear as all these big channels, hence only starting this year – however, equipment can just be an unnecessary distraction. I would often get distracted by the gear and not focus on the videos so I asked myself “will this get me more subscribers”? No! But making videos, becoming well-known and being kind to the community will!

What is your dream?

Sometimes I can’t help but gaze at other YouTube channels. They have millions of subscribers; we have less than a hundred. I continue to make videos because I know nothing will ever change if I don’t focus on our channel. I want to reach one million subscribers, yet I am nowhere near. But I won’t stop until I do.

There is a chance our channel will never grow, that it will become lost forever in the infinite abyss of deserted YouTube channels. One day, I will sit down, look at our channel and thank myself for working hard on it in the earlier stages. Because other people liking the stuff that you create – it’s an amazing feeling.

If we continue at this rate, our channel name could become a household word. That’s the dream!

Do you worry about what other people think?

Some people get disheartened by the dislikes and the hate comments, but I thrive on them. It makes me happy to know that there are actually people in this world who are jealous of what we’ve achieved. I want to work harder, and achieve more, because if they are jealous of what we’ve achieved now, just imagine us in a year.

What is something that you have learnt about Youtube?

Many people both online and in the real world think that YouTube is easy. “It’s just making videos”, they say. But it’s much more than that! Since we started, I have learned that YouTube isn’t about the content. It isn’t about you. It’s about the subscribers themselves – the individuals who are watching your videos, liking them and leaving comments.

Our channel is constantly evolving, but I didn’t think it was. We were slowly gaining traction, making a name for ourselves. I didn’t notice the difference – until I found an old screenshot of our channel. It was unrecognisable! I just sat there, looking at the photograph and thought, “Wow. Our channel has changed much more than I thought it had”.

Any final comments?

I am a YouTuber and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

Additional Information

If you are a Youtuber like Mohammed, remember to keep yourself safe online by following these tips.