Why Do So Many Children Want to Become YouTubers?

YouTube has cemented itself as an integral part of kids‘ daily entertainment and culture. Where once children dreamed of becoming doctors, lawyers or astronauts when they grew up, recent surveys now suggest that being a YouTuber tops the list of dream jobs. In the UK, an estimated 30% of kids aged 6-17 want to become vloggers or YouTubers. This article explores why the career has become so hugely appealing to children.

YouTube‘s Far-Reaching Influence

To understand why kids aspire to become YouTubers, you have to recognize YouTube‘s vast popularity. YouTube boasts over 2 billion monthly active users – almost one-third of all people on the internet. The platform sees over 1 billion hours of videos watched every single day. Kids around the world spend hours each day watching their favorite YouTubers. Stars like PewDiePie, MrBeast and Unspeakable have tens of millions of subscribers.

YouTube stars have in many ways replaced traditional celebrities in the eyes of children. An estimated 70% of kids feel more connected to YouTubers than singers or movie stars that they see less frequently. The most popular vloggers upload new videos 1-2 times per week, building an ongoing connection and relationship with fans.

Earning Potential Attracts Kids to Vlogging

One huge incentive is clearly the money. The top 0.1% of YouTubers make over $100,000 per month just from ads and sponsorships. Seeing the opulent lifestyles and material possessions of famous vloggers, kids aspire to replicate that success themselves. While becoming extremely wealthy is rare, many vloggers earn six-figure incomes posting videos about their lives and interests.

The possibility of becoming rich and famous by simply filming yourself playing games or pulling pranks is understandably more appealing than traditional 8-5 office jobs to kids. YouTubing seems like an easy path to fortune and celebrity status compared to years of college and climbing the corporate ladder.

Craving Attention and Validation

Children also love the attention and validation that comes with being an influencer. Young people today crave "likes" and attention on social media. Kids recognize YouTube as a path to fame and an audience of millions. Posting viral content carries the allure of attention from peers around the world.

Uploading content also provides creative fulfilment for children who want outlets to demonstrate their talents in areas like comedy, gaming and entertainment. Where children once had to be exceptionally gifted dancers, musicians or actors to showcase their skills, vlogging allows any talented kid to share their passion with a global audience.

Changing Attitudes Towards Vlogging Careers

There has traditionally been scepticism over pursing social media stardom as a career path. However attitudes are changing fast with the rise of vlogging and influencer marketing into a multi-billion dollar industry. These days, parents are generally more supportive as long as grades remain steady and content stays appropriate.

Where it may once have seemed like an unstable career, top vloggers now make millions yearly from YouTube ads, sponsored content, merchandise stores and other business ventures spawned from their popularity. In many ways, it‘s now a more viable career than trying to make is as an actor or musician – but also remains highly competitive. Still, many parents cite the autonomy and business skills gained from running a popular channel as benefits.

Accessibility Attracts Aspiring Vloggers

One final factor that explains the popularity is accessibility. Anyone with a smartphone and internet access can launch a YouTube channel. While high production quality was once a barrier, camera phones and editing apps now allow young creators to make appealing, high-quality content themselves.

Of course gaining millions of subscribers and YouTube fame isn‘t easy – only a tiny fraction of creators achieve that level of success. But from a kid‘s perspective, vlogging seems more attainable than adult-dominated careers in fields like law, business and medicine that require years of costly education.

The simplicity of launching a channel, potential to achieve fame no matter your age and financial rewards make trying to become a YouTuber a tantalizing prospect for children today.

Conclusion – Supporting Your Child‘s Vlogging Aspirations

YouTube‘s emergence as a cultural behemoth helps explain why a third of kids now want to become vloggers, YouTubers and online influencers when they grow up. The money, celebrity status, attention and accessibility the career path offers make it hugely alluring.

As a parent, it‘s understandable to be concerned over these aspirations. But the key is to remain supportive while also setting reasonable expectations. Explain that only the top fraction of YouTubers achieve elite status and earnings, though responsible vlogging can develop useful tech and business skills.

The best approach is to encourage budding creators while ensuring video content and time commitments don‘t interfere with their broader education and development. With balance and parental oversight, aspiring to become a YouTuber can be a positive, stimulating ambition rather than an unrealistic pipedream for kids today.