At this point, it's every nine-year-olds dream. To create videos, publish them to YouTube, and make a living. The idea comes from popular IRL and gaming YouTubers such as Mr Beast, SB737 or any of the countless YouTubers who have managed to make a living out of it. But the common misconception among viewers that creators must stick to a rigid schedule can lead to creators getting under a lot of stress and they may just end up becoming extremely unhappy making content.
What is creator burnout?
Burnout happens to all of us, not just content creators. But with creators, it's particularly common and even problematic. Burnout is a broad term, but the basic definition is you do something so often, that it begins to feel dull and repetitive. Numerous creators, especially gaming creators face burnout. It's understandable, they play the game that they love so often that it ends up feeling like a chore.
What can burnout affect?
Burnout can lead to many outcomes. The two most common are either to go on hiatus and recover or change the channel format. Changing the format leads to noticeable changes in the creator. They seem less happy, less interested and upload less. They will most likely never go back to their old self. This leads to them losing subscribers and in turn, revenue.
Failing channels
If a channel ends up failing, it's improbable that the channel will recover. Resulting in a YouTuber who is making videos for a tiny audience. The happiest YouTubers out there are the ones who have other jobs. Coming home after a day of work and being excited to make a video is much better for a person's mental health than staying at home all day making videos just for one person to watch.
Written by Tom Conmy
Interesting article. Thanks Tom.