In the past couple of years, it is no secret that YouTube has become one of the most used social media platforms around the world. Starting on February 14th, 2005, YouTube has come a long way since. Not only with better quality videos, but with content that YouTubers put out for millions to see. Coming in a close second behind Facebook, YouTube has 1.9 billion monthly active users. Now, what most of us may not know is how much YouTubers actually get paid. Some of us may not even know that YouTubers get paid at all. Growing up, I had no idea that the faces on the screen were receiving money in return for video views. I also had no clue the number of zeros on their paychecks depended on how many views they received. So really, our boredom and thirst for entertainment is the reason they receive their paychecks. And although many contribute to the views, many believe that YouTubers get paid way too much.

Now, some of the most talked-about YouTubers do not necessarily mean they are the most subscribed. The YouTuber with the highest amount of subscribers is PewDiePie, holding the title with 101 million subscribers. Some YouTubers that we all know of but don’t have 101 million subscribers include David Dobrik, Emma Chamberlain, Shane Dawson, Jenna Marbles, etc.

Two YouTubers I want to talk about are Emma Chamberlain and David Dobrik. These two grew up on YouTube, from watching videos off the platform to later posting themselves. One thing you can’t ignore, especially if you have been watching these two from the start is their success not only with a dramatic increase in their subscribers, but with their life. In old David Dobrik vlogs, you can see that most of the boys from The Vlog Squad all lived in a house that was too tiny to maintain five boys. With an increase in subscribers, which typically means an increase in their views, David now lives in two million dollar house that is located in Los Angles, California. With YouTube being his full time job, it is crucial he posts weekly.

The same goes for Emma Chamberlain. She started off on YouTube when she was still living in San Fransisco. Now, an early graduate from high school, she is able to be living in Los Angeles, all alone, in a nice apartment, at just the age of 17. Why? How?

It is all from YouTube money.

I believe that certain YouTubers should make more money than others. David and Emma both edit their own videos. Usually, what most YouTubers do now, is they will hire a video editor. For that reason, I do not believe that those with a video editor should not be paid nearly as much as those who spend hours editing their videos. If anything, the money should be going to those who edit what is being posted to billions of people.

Senior Ethan Yanez thinks differently. “Well, I think that they get paid a little bit too much. They do provide entertainment, which is something a lot of people desire,” Yanez said. “It is the same reason we pay actors and sports players so much because they provide us entertainment. But, I do think that for the content they provide and the effort that YouTube really requires that they are being paid a little too much.”

One other senior, Adrian Acosta, had an opinion similar to mine.

“Personally, it actually depends on their own personal success! There genuinely are those who deserve it, put out amazing content, and aren’t greedy with the money they make from YouTube,” Acosta said. “There are those who use their money to show off and such and make content that is really annoying and honestly boring, but YouTube is a tough market to go into, and if you do well, clearly you’ve done something right, even if sometimes their content isn’t great, I don’t think they should be making as much as they are.”

Whether you think YouTuber get paid too much or too little, just keep in mind the next time you are watching a video, your one view is contributing to his or her paycheck.