Like a lot of people, I've dealt with general anxiety, social anxiety, depression, and emotional abuse as I've grown into an adult. I think I've always been aware of my social anxiety and general anxiety, but in late 2012, I developed depression, and I've battled it ever since. During this time, I've tried multiple approaches to dealing with my depression, and I've found several that work: doing things I love (i.e. playing video games, reading, etc.), taking time for myself, and finding people to whom I can relate. Also, during this time of fighting my depression, I've been in an emotionally abusive relationship. Being in an abusive relationship, whether it's physical, emotional, mental, or any other type of abuse, is exhausting and debilitating. At the end of this relationship, I felt liberated, free, lost, afraid, and ecstatic all at once! Lucky for me, though, I have extremely supportive friends and family. Although I have so many supportive people in my life, though, I tend to be a very private and introverted person, so talking about this sort of thing to someone can be difficult.
That's where these eight YouTubers (in no particular order) come in:
Emile Rosales-Birou, a member of TheRunawayGuys, produces Let's Plays of his favorite video games. Although all of his videos on YouTube consist of gaming videos, something that most people would see as entertainment, they have a personal flair that has always made me feel welcome and at-home on his channel. His videos are often very detailed, and I find that extremely comforting and grounding. Emile has shared many personal stories that have shown me the importance of having something comforting (in this case, video games) during a time of depression. Emile's videos really taught me to love myself and to realize that no matter what happens, there will always be something or someone there to help me. He also uses tons of puns throughout his Let's Plays, and he never fails to make my day better!
2. Proton Jon
Jon Wheeler, also a member of TheRunawayGuys, produces Let's Plays on his channel. Jon's videos are often rage-filled and hilarious, and they always make me laugh whenever I need it. He streams on Twitch on a regular basis, often with other Let's Players or YouTubers, and it always results in a memorable quote or two (especially if Emile is involved!). His videos have taught me that even if my luck isn't so great, things will always get better. Jon's channel feels very personal and interactive because of his streams, and he often interacts with viewers on Twitter and Twitch.
Timothy Bishop, a third member of TheRunawayGuys, is known for his sense of humor. He produces Let's Plays and vlogs and streams on Twitch. His videos are full of his unique style of humor, catchphrases, and personal tidbits. Tim replies on Twitter and often via email, so his channel is extremely interactive. Throughout his Let's Plays, Tim tells stories from his life, thus making his viewers feel connected to him. Tim has shown me that no matter how rough or unfair things seem, I can always overcome them. His channel has always felt very much like home, and he never fails to make me feel comfortable.
(Upon learning about my decision to write this article, Tim replied to my Tweet with "So many hugs for you. It's an honor that I could help in any way!")
4. Tom Fawkes
Tom Fawkes creates Let's Plays and streams for his viewers and is known for his humor and catchphrases. Much like Proton Jon, Tom's videos are often filled with rage and hilarity! In many of his videos, Tom uses his vocal talents to create voices and accents for characters in whichever game he happens to be playing. Tom often streams to raise money for charity. Tom's videos have given me hope and shown me that there are great people in the world. His videos are always funny, sincere, and personal, and they always bring a smile to my face!
5. Markiplier
Mark Fischbach is an extremely popular YouTuber who produces rage-filled Let's Plays, vlogs, and many other types of videos. He often shares personal stories and feelings, but he is also known for his loudness and swearing. Mark often donates to charities, and his videos are comforting and easy to relate to because of his kind personality and interactions with his viewers. Mark often talks about his past and how far he has come. He's always so surprised at his progress on YouTube because of how shy and introverted he was in the beginning. Mark's videos and stories give me the confidence to be myself. His videos are hilarious, heartfelt, and often personal, and he really brings a sense of community to his channel.
Mitchell Davis is a vlogger and musician. His channel is also known as livelavalive. Mitchell creates music and vlogs on his channel. Mitchell's channel is especially important to me because of how personal his videos can be. Although he is known for humor and his "hipster" appearance, Mitchell has shared personal stories about school, anxiety, and depression. His videos are often very creative and unique, and his personal style and humor is always a pick-me-up.
7. Hannah Hart
Hannah Hart is known for her YouTube series "My Drunk Kitchen" as well as her vlogs and collaboration with other popular YouTubers. Hannah is always very optimistic and is known for her positive and motivational quotes. "Practice reckless optimism," "Nobody is wired wrong," and her sexual orientation "checklist" of "Hetero, Homo, Harto" have all been extremely inspiring for me. Hannah is very focused on LGBTQA+ rights, and she often shares personal stories on her channel. Hannah's videos always make me feel accepted no matter how I'm feeling.
Ingrid Nilsen, who recently came out as a lesbian in this video, is known as a beauty guru and CoverGirl glambassador. She produces beauty and fashion videos, vlogs, and cooking videos and often shares stories from her personal life. Ingrid's videos are always very upbeat and relatable. Ingrid's coming out video was surprising (in a good way!) and taught me to "give myself my best chance" at everything I do. As someone who is interested in LGBTQA+ rights and has struggled with sexuality, Ingrid has become such a gateway into learning and exploration, and she's taught me to love myself no matter what.
YouTube has always been a place of happiness for me, but finding these eight awesome YouTubers during my fight against depression, anxiety, emotional abuse, and other issues during my path to adulthood has shown me what an important community it really is. While viral videos and how-to videos are still entertaining to watch, finding someone relatable who has a positive, long-lasting impact on my life has been an absolutely amazing experience, and I don't know what I would do without my YouTube community. Each of these YouTubers taught me something about self-worth and helped me to become my best, give myself my best chance, and to overcome whatever is thrown at me. Even though they're just regular people, being able to pull up my favorite YouTubers whenever I need a pick-me-up makes them seem like superheroes.
