If you have kids, chances are they want to be youtubers. After a 2017 survey found that youtuber was the number one job kids want (with ‘vlogger’ coming in second), a 2019 study found that kids would rather be youtubers than astronauts.
Parent bloggers are exchanging advice on raising children with youtuber aspirations, books are being published on the topic, and toys such as the Toy Vlogger Kit and video creator dolls are proliferating.
While many are tempted to copy the content of PewDiePie, Ryan’s World, and MrBeast, a better option might be to convince your kids to be journalistic youtubers. Globally, YouTube is increasingly used for news and information. YouTube is known as the second biggest search engine, after Google. The Digital News Report: Australia 2023 (DNR) reveals YouTube is increasingly used as a news source, with almost a quarter of Australians using the platform for news. The DNR also reveals that roughly half of the Australians who go to YouTube for news ‘mostly pay attention to mainstream media and journalists’. This means that about one in ten Australians are primarily receiving societal, political, and economic information from non-mainstream YouTube creators.
What does a kid need to be a journalistic youtuber? You may be surprised by this - they need to go to university. My initial research suggests that youtubers creating journalistic content generally have a bachelor’s degree (B), master’s degree (M), or PhD. In the UK, Tom Nicholas (PhD), Philosophy Tube (M), and Munecat (B) create thoroughly researched videos on societal and political issues. In the USA Sydney Watson (M) comments on societal issues, Coffeezilla (B) investigates financial crime, and LegalEagle (B) provides in-depth reports on events related to US law. Money & Macro (PhD) and The Plain Bagel (B) create content that goes into detail on finance and economic issues. In Australia, Daisy Cousens (M) creates content commenting on cultural and political issues, and friendlyjordies (B) publishes videos on issues of political integrity, environmental destruction, and hyperlocal issues important to communities in regional NSW.
There is no specific type of degree that leads to success on YouTube. The above creators come from a variety of academic backgrounds that include engineering, fine arts, political science, economics, and philosophy. Perhaps university lays the groundwork as it provides the in-depth knowledge of a specific topic area as well as the transferable skills of critical thinking, research, and writing. So, while your kids could try publishing prank videos, they may have a better chance of becoming YouTube stars by enrolling at university.
Chris Hall, Law HDR student
This was featured in our Centre's fortnightly newsletter of 11 August - read it in full here and/or subscribe.