Is this the future of content?



This has been on mind lately and I'm thinking about Logan Paul's controversial video that featured a man who just committed suicide in the Aokihagara Forest or known as the 'Suicide Forest' of Japan. It has caused quite an online ruckus and people have been calling him out for the disturbing act and just yesterday, I read that a lot of his partners cut ties with him and his channel plus a couple of his TV shows have been put on hold.

First, I think the act is very disrespectful and distasteful. As one random Japanese guy whom I saw in an FB commentary video and was asked for his opinion on the matter said: even if Logan blurred the face of the victim and the other parts of his body, his body as a whole will still be identified by the people close to him and that alone is painful for them; so aside from being disrespectful, the video too will inadvertently cause trauma and pain to the family when they see it (which is highly likely because this is great news). There are also laws against publicizing suicide victims and police and medical experts are very careful when discussing the topic.

And there's also his string of Japan videos that are just as worse as the suicide video; a bunch of kids trashing a place where respect for the self, the community, and culture are held in high regard. This is for another story.


It shouldn't have come to this

Second, I am beginning to question what kind of content creators Youtube is breeding and this generation is idolizing, and how our thirst for online entertainment is slowly taking a dark turn.

You see, this is a symbiotic relationship. Content creators and fans feed off each other; CCs are there to entertain, fans will clamor for more, CCs will ask fans to challenge them, fans will request the most extreme videos, and of course, CC can't say no; because that means boring out his fans, losing his fan base, and eventually his numbers, fame, and kaching. Fans will be exposed to a new kind of entertainment that is more exciting, more extreme, and at some point, twisted.

And now we have these kinds of videos everyday: people stuffing themselves with food in front of a salivating audience, eating corn on a drill, hitting others, kids slapping and disrespecting their parents, people filming assaults and posting them online, individuals spilling family secrets/skeletons/matters that should not be made public, makeup applied using the bottom of a shoe-these are just some of the extreme videos we are exposed to everyday; they excite us, titillate us, and bring about a surge of complex emotions that we've never felt before. And that's why we want more and we expect our content creator heroes to deliver the same quality. Digital voyeurism at work.

But on the brighter side, there are also a lot of positive aspects in social media.

The lesson here is CONTROL. You have the power to control your content, audience, and direction. The problem with being viral is it's too fast that you can't keep up and in order to do so, you have to be controversial. Most of the time, this means being mean and disrespectful; and this doesn't end well.

Still, what gets me is the act of posting the suicide video. I don't have to put my hand in hot water to know how traumatic it is for the family of a suicide victim to see that their plight is being used for entertainment.

Logan should have turned off his camera; heck, he shouldn't have ventured into the restricted area in the first place. If he wanted to help, he could have recalled the experience in another way and called for action to change the way we see mental illness.

We're still a long way from accepting that mental illness is illness and from learning how this should be dealt with. To my fellow influencers, Youtubers, and bloggers, you have the voice to inspire and move so please, use it wisely. If you can't help the problem, at least don't add to the problem.

In the Philippines, if you need medical assistance on mental- related illnesses, you can call HOPELINE PHILIPPINES

Hopeline hotline:
(02) 804-46730917-558 46732919 for TM and Globe subscribers (Toll- free)

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13 Comments

  1. Hayy nako...yan nga..super nasobrahan na dyan si Logan Paul sa vlog nya...para bang super high sya dyan, d normal, nakita ko po mga ginawa nya, napaka irresponsableng tourist po ah, wlang respeto khit sa pulis nga nglalaro pa. hayys, super fame na sana, sinira nya pa fame nya. D ko po alam yang isang content na yan ah, ano ba yan prang nadadala na ng sobra ang mga tao, gagawin lahat para mgviral lang?! that's immoral method na ha, haayss..bakit kaya may gnyang mga tao, they want so much more, d marunong makontento at pahalagahan ang kung anong meron sila...
    God Bless them na lng po.

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  2. I agree with you Ms. Martha. One downside of social media nowadays is it somehow entices users to post content that would skyrocket their fame, even if it means putting others to shame. Logan was already famous for his videos, but this recent act put him at the spotlight; unfortunately for him, this was not the type of attention he wanted from people. Indeed, self-discipline and control is essential when posting in social media 'coz not everything is screened by YouTube or Facebook. Kids nowadays have easy access to the internet and it is quite bothering that they might be influenced by what they see online. Stories of suicide have been trending lately and hopefully this would serve as an avenue to strengthen the awareness of Filipinos regarding mental health.

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  3. This is really a serious matter. I saw one of his videos where he pranks random people and I don't understand what is so funny about that. I immediately stopped watching his video because it would just add another view to his video and he might think that what he is doing is what people wanna see. Thank you, Ms. Martha for voicing out your opinion.

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    1. It is not funny at all, because he is causing havoc in the countries that he's visiting. He should have been more mindful.

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  4. I think people nowadays will do everything just have those most coveted LIKES. We can't blame them because we live in a world now that it is okay to sell your body even your soul just to have likes in social media. Also I think some of them really wanted the attention they are getting that if they do this certain kind of acts/contents and people like it then he/she will continue to do it not knowing that it's not their happiness that matters, it's yours. As for the suicide content I am not very happy about that too, I can't imagine if that person he featured was very close to me, I don't know what I'll do with that youtube creator.
    And yes mental health is as much as important as your physical health. If you need someone to talk too, do so, seek help or advice. God has plans for you, he will not give you these obstacles if he knows you can't do it and it doesn't matter if you asked for helped. He just needs you to prepare for a better and brighter future ahead.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, I agree with you. Get those coveted likes for crappy videos? I guess we have to rethink our priorities.

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  5. This is what is saddening in this generation. We are becoming out of love and compassion as what's important now is more likes, more shares, be in the news/headline, and be insanely famous. 😣

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  6. I'm 100% with you on this. Very well said. You couldn't have said it better. ❤️🤗 I'm a mental health advocate and this speaks to me on so many levels. Some content creators are literally turning to a dark path. I hope and pray for the best. Thank you for this, Ms. Martha.

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  7. These contents makes my heart ache. I can't imagine people streaming vids like these. Thank you for sharing information about hopeline. I was recently diagnosed with mixed anxiety-depressive disorder. I was anxious to get help at first bec i was thinking that the doctor might say na nag iinarte lang ako but it was like not that when talking to professionals. They will help you understand what you are going through. Also they will give necessary meds to help you out. I am feeling better than ever now. It's the best thing that I did to myself. :)

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  8. All for the sake of likes and views! It's really disappointing to see such acts, how people get so twisted just to please their followers and get famous.
    Agree with you, if we can't help solve the problem, at least just don't add to the problem.

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  9. Yes, it was very insensitive of him to have posted that. Death is a painful experience for the people left behind , especially those who have loved ones who have committed suicide. It's not meant for show or for entertainment. He should of thought of that prior to posting that video. Depression and suicide are major concerns. He should been more mindful.

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  10. Very well said po Ms. Martha about being pafamous to the extent n hndi n xa mgnda, I mean out of this world n un gingwa eh, this is so crazy! My skit n din ata un mga gnitong tao and I don't think n this is for fun pa. Un mga gnitong tao dapat napaparushn din kc bukod s privacy is being disturbed at all, it doesn't bring any good at all. Nkakatakot lng kc khit cnu pedeng mkita ito at gayahin khit nasa atin ang control especially the young minds. Dapat mgimplemnt bawt country n i-strict nila ang mga gnyn palbas s social media especially s Yt. Most of the crimes comes from watching and I remnber when watching s news I think that was last yr, may 1 minor n kasma s pagpty s Dr at vinideo pa nila. This is very alarming para s lahat and it sholud be stop!

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