In the early 2010s, YouTube was a place for content creation. “What’s In My Bag,” seasonal morning routines, and monthly favorite videos flooded the platform.
Before there was short-form videos and TikTok, where creators rose to fame overnight, there were lifestyle video creators, the queens of YouTube who created long-form video content for their millions of subscribers.
Content has changed significantly over the past decade. YouTube influencers swapped for TikTok creators. What happened to the lifestyle video bloggers who ruled the internet and where are they now?
Zoella
Zoe Sugg, a famous British YouTuber, went by the username Zoella during her career. Known for her shopping, everyday content, and makeup tutorials, Sugg has dominated the YouTube scene with over 10.6 million subscribers. While on the platform, the star released a ton of videos to her loyal fans and also wrote a three-part book series, “Girl Online.”
In addition to her content gaining a loyal following, Thug also gained a lot of attention when viewers “shipped” her with fellow British YouTuber Alfie Days . Although these speculations on the Internet are not always correct, this “ship” is married and has two children.
Thug hasn’t posted on her Zoella YouTube channel in over six years, but she posts regularly on her vlog channel. She shares her family moments and adventures with over 4 million subscribers. Thug is also active on Instagram, where he has over 9 million followers. The YouTube star appears to have lived happily ever after.
Alisha Marie
Another vlogger who has stolen the hearts of many people is Alisha Marie. Marie started making videos on YouTube in 2011 and gained attention for various video formats such as vlogs and back-to-school content. Marie created the most famous “vlogmas”. There, we vlogged our daily lives leading up to Christmas, with quality testimonials to accompany each video.
Another of her hit video series is the infamous back-to-school video she dubbed “Schoolisha.” Her most popular video in the series received over 28 million views.
More than a decade later, Marie remains loyal to her platform. She still regularly uploads to her vlog channel, posts on TikTok and Instagram, and has two podcasts. She co-hosts “Pretty Basic” with fellow lifestyle YouTuber Remi Cruise, and “Basically Unfiltered” with Cruise, Zane Hijazi, and Heath Hassall. Her viewership on YouTube doesn’t garner millions of views like her previous content, and she’s not going anywhere.
Bethany Mota
YouTube’s ultimate “It” girl, Bethany Mota, began her career on the platform in 2009 by posting videos under the username macbarbie07. Over the years, her channel has mushroomed in number, posting videos, vlogs, morning routines, and monthly favorites.
Mota was one of the stars of the lifestyle YouTube community and set the bar high for all that followed. Her channel has over 9 million subscribers, but her most popular videos are currently private.
At the height of his YouTube popularity, Mota did more than just post to his channel. She owns the Aeropostale clothing line, has gone on promotional tours for the brand, and placed fourth on season 19 of “Dancing with the Stars.” Currently, Mota has largely retreated from the spotlight.
Although she hasn’t posted on YouTube in over a year, she’s still active on Instagram and appears to be having fun with her boyfriend at her home in California. She still works in media and currently hosts a competition series about content creators called “Follow Me,” which streams on the CW app.
MyLifeAsEva
Eva Gutowski, popularly known as MyLifeAsEva on YouTube, burst onto the scene in 2012 and has only continued to grow from there. The lifestyle guru has created DIY videos, how-to videos, and content aimed at making viewers laugh. Most notably, Gutowski created the Internet song “Literally My Life,” which currently has over 50 million views on YouTube.
Since his time in content creation, Gutowski has moved away from the platform that got his start. Currently, Gutowski is pursuing a career in music and DJing as MARISOL. Her DJ career is in full swing, touring in New York City and Finland. Although life seems to have changed a lot since her YouTube days, fans remain loyal to Gutowski on TikTok and Instagram, where she shares the latest in her career.
@clara_leder
cl125221@ohio.edu
