I went to Vidcon in both 2012 and 2013. I decided to go almost entirely because it seemed like the best chance I'd have to see a bunch of Ctude at once those summers. Still, I ended up enjoying the conference quite a bit both years. I attended really interesting, entertaining, and important panels. I met a whole bunch of friends that I'd only talked to over Twitter and Skype before then. I even had a few opportunities to chat with creators I'd admired for years.
I wasn't able to attend Vidcon this year, and after watching Lex's video and hearing other stories around the internet, I'm glad I didn't.
Let me start by saying that Vidcon is really important to me. So many of my friends pour their hearts and souls into making this conference function every year, and I think it's a great opportunity to see so many lovely lovely internet friends in one go.
That's why I'm so disappointed to hear these stories about mobbing creators. I understand wanting the opportunity to meet the Youtubers you've watched for ages. I understand feeling like even just being able to say hi to them and hear them say hi back would be the best thing in the whole world. I've been there. I've felt that way before.
But it is never okay to put people in a position where they feel unsafe, and that's what this mobbing does. Seriously, if you keep pushing these creators so far that they don't feel safe walking down a hallway, even with the help of security, they will eventually reach the point that Vidcon and other conferences like it are no longer worth attending. Even worse, they may stop feeling comfortable connecting with their viewers online, through comments, videos, and the likes.
I'm sure there are things that Vidcon can do to make their guests feel less threatened, and if I think of anything that might help, you best believe I'm going to try to pass on my thoughts. Like I said, I know a lot of the people who work with and for Vidcon, and I trust that they'll take this problem seriously.
It doesn't stop there though. Ultimately, most of the work falls on the shoulders of the individuals. Fans, we need to remember that creators are still people, and they deserve the same respect as everyone else. They deserve to have fun. They deserve to feel safe. They deserve to be able to leave their hotel rooms without being swarmed by screaming fans.
Creators, I encourage you to follow Lex's lead. Talk about your boundaries. Talk about why these behaviors are a problem for you. These viewers respect you, and there's a chance they might just listen to what you.
I hope this changes. Let's keep talking about it.
tl;dr: SERIOUSLY, stop treating people as less than people. Even when they're a celebrity. Even at Vidcon.
