Ever wonder what vlogs are and why we love them so much? Click here to learn more about the definition and history of vlogs. Read more about why vloggers make so much money on social media networks like YouTube and TikTok. Learn about the appeal and psychology behind our love of day in the life style vlogs on Youtube and TikTok.
As someone who was in middle school in the early 2010s, I remember very well the fame and obsession that surrounded vloggers. Popular youtubers were household names, the topic of drama/ controversy, and in some cases insanely wealthy from vlogging. That leaves most people asking what exactly a vlog is and why have vloggers been able to get this level of fame and wealth from creating video blogs.
What are vlogs (and what aren’t vlogs):
Vlogs are exactly what they sound like they are blogs in the form of videos. They allow people who create vlogs, vloggers, to share anything about their life, their careers, interests, etc. According to the book Essentials of Social Media Marketing, vlogs started in the early 2000s but had a stark rise in fame and popularity in 2005 when YouTube launched.
For many the YouTube vlogger is what comes to mind when someone says vlogs. However, long-form YouTube vlogs are not necessarily the only kind of vlog. For example the article from Vamp “Daily TikTok vlogs are having a viral moment – here’s how to create them” described the popular “day in my life” tiktok videos as “the shortened version of YouTube vlogs”.
Vlogs are any video format of a blog that lets viewers get access into a part of the life of the creator. Whether it be a twenty-minute YouTube video taking you through a creator’s life in detail from waking up to going to bed or a 60 second tik tok of someone explaining their morning routine, vlogs have been capturing the attention of many social media users for years.
Why do vlogs capture our attention?
Every day social media users around the world will spend time watching someone else do everyday activities. Of course, some vlogs have a gimmick to them. For example, the new craze is people showing “van life” where people show their everyday activities as someone by choice living on the road full time. There is an element of living vicariously through the vlogger because this is something most viewers cannot or have not done. There is also an appeal to watching someone in a field you never plan on pursuing. Day in the life of an elementary school teacher, med-school student, flight attendants, etc. are popular because they give you insight into the ins and outs of someone else’s career.
However, there are also many vloggers that are just doing very mundane regular activities. Why is it that we want to spend our time watching someone else make their bed, do their makeup, go for a walk, etc. instead of just doing those activities. The Vox article “The irresistible voyeurism of “day in my life videos” explains our interest in looking into the everyday life of strangers. Vox writer Rebecca Jennings wrote, “‘day in my life’ videos are opportunities for voyeurism, sure, but they are also satisfying on a more basic human level: By watching other people be productive, we get to feel productive ourselves.”
The money and influence vlogging can create:
Vlogging on YouTube and Tiktok can make those who rise to fame on the social media networks extremely wealthy and famous. Influencer Marketing Hub reported that “the average YouTube pay in the U.S. in 2022 was about $1,154 per week or $4,616 monthly”. Of course not anyone with a YouTube video makes that sort of money, but on average YouTubers can make a lot of money.
I personally have watched many days in the life of teacher videos and days in the life of flight attendant videos and seen the vloggers end up quitting their jobs to do vlogging full time because they make more money from YouTube.
Vlogging is not only something many social media viewers enjoy, but also something that can give the creator a lot of influence and money. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the content you follow and who you give views to. As well, it is important to remember that these day in the life vlogs are giving viewers a curated, perfected version of the creator. It is important not to compare yourself and your life to that of a vlogger on YouTube and Tiktok.
Do you enjoy vlogs? If so, which vlogs have you watched?
Social Media in PR and Journalism 
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