Ultimate Nostalgia: Youtubers Who Shaped Our Teenage Years

Photo by Christian Wiediger on Unsplash

Gen Z is the ultimate generation for growing up with the internet. We’ve never really known life without it. Every now and then, I love to look back on whatever I was obsessed with during my peak internet years, particularly 2012-2015. This week, we’re looking at Youtube, a video creator website where we all spent our teenaged years. I don’t know about you guys, but the Youtube scene certainly shaped my teenage years. Most of us spent an embarrassing amount of time watching anything from ridiculous challenge videos, daily vlogs and every aesthetic-girl’s ‘get ready with me’. Let’s take a trip down memory lane for some ultimate nostalgia – here are some Youtubers that shaped our teenage years;

Zoella (and the whole British crew)

Were you really a British teenager in 2013 if you weren’t absolutely obsessed with Zoella (and/or the rest of the British Youtube Scene)?

Despite not growing up in the UK, I still loveeeed this whole group. They were all so successful worldwide, outside of their British audience.

Zoe Sugg (aka Zoella) started as a blogger in 2009 and shortly made her way into the Youtube scene. Sugg started with makeup & hair tutorials, hauls and lifestyle videos. As she grew, we saw vlogs, challenges and collaborations with other creators. Thus bringing us the Brit ‘Crew’.

The group was made up of Jim Chapman, Marcus Butler, Alfie Deyes, Tanya Burr, Caspar Lee, Niomi Smart, Louise Pentland, Joe Sugg and, of course, Zoe Sugg. I feel like this whole group was the inspiration for many Youtubers to come after them. Everyone wanted to be a YouTuber because of them. I’d certainly consider Zoe and the whole Brit Crew pioneers of making Youtube a career.

Still to this day I was Zoe’s videos. Like myself, a lot of her viewers group up with her. We once followed her makeup tutorials and now we are inspired by her adult life.

Bethany Mota

The ultimate IT girl of those iconic years – Bethany Mota. Her videos were the go to for every school, fashion or DIY dilemma we had.

Mota’s videos had this overwhelmingly amazing sense of positivity and always made me feel encouraged as a young girl. Her videos were so influential to anyone who needed anything from help with makeup or DIYing your own room decor.

Dan and Phil

How could I make this post without including these two absolute icons? Daniel Howell (DanIsNotOnFire) and Phil Lester (AmazingPhil) were the blueprint of everything British and hilarious on Youtube at the time.

Everyone who was ‘chronically online’ will remember this duo. They have been around since the very early days of Youtube, Phil started his channel in 2006 and then Dan in 2009. Like myself, I think they gave people a lot of comfort. Particularly those of us who were a little socially awkward at school. Their community was, and still is, loving, welcoming and peaceful.

Our2ndLife

Collaboration channels were a huge part of the Youtube scene back in the day, Our2ndLife (O2L) being one of them. The group was made up of Trevi Moran, Ricky Dillon, JC Caylen, Sam Pottorff, Connor Franta and Kian Lawley. They were the ultimate content-crew for everything over the top, ridiculous and entertaining. Each day of the week, a different member would post a video and we’d get the occasion group videos. I remember their channel being such a staple in my teenage years, me and my sisters were truly obsessed.

Kevin and Lill

If you’re on the right side of TikTok, I’m sure you’ve come across the iconic @grandma_droniak. Lill’s account may be the funniest that I’ve seen in a long time.

But did you know her grandson Kevin Droniak had a Youtube channel where he used to share hilarious videos with his grandma? These two were honestly some of my favourites at the time. The dynamics between the two of them are hilarious and certainly an enjoyable watch. I actually rewatch their videos all the time when I need a pick-me-up. They are short, sweet and totally entertaining.

And there you have it! That concludes our nostalgic Youtube throwback. If you’re looking to take it back to your younger Internet years, old Youtube videos are the perfect way. This list is specific to what I watched, I’m sure I’ve missed out some other nostalgic gems too. Who did you used to watch? Let me know in the comments!

To follow up, next time I’ll be sharing my favourite Youtubers right now.

with love,

becky

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