Vlogging At 11 Years Old | Zoella

2014-03-02
Closed captions
11m

As her channel surpasses 4 million subscribers, YouTuber Zoe Sugg shares an early home video that shows her "vlogging" even as a little girl

Zoe Sugg, previously known as ‘Zoella’, was a pioneer of online video. One of the ‘first wave’ or OG (original) online creators, she was key part of the ‘Brit Crew’ online dynasty, which also includes her brother Joe Sugg and her partner Alfie Deyes.

Collectively, the Brit Crew helped to build and shape areas of the UK online landscape, including its economy. To date, Zoe is one of the most successful global creators, with over 10 million subscribers on her Instagram and YouTube platforms, and she is among the highest paid female social media influencers in the UK due to multiple brand partnerships.

Now, Zoe is also an author, a mental health advocate and an entrepreneur. Over the years, her content has evolved with her. Sometimes characterised as ‘cosy’, her videos capture aspects of her life, focusing on beauty, fashion, food and family, in an approachable style with Zoe talking direct to camera in the form of a video journal or diary: a style now known as a ‘vlog’.

The Kids Are Alright: Youth Culture on Screen

Teds, mods, rockers, punks, goths, ravers, hoodies, emos... The 20th Century phenomenon of ‘youth culture’ is a dynamic expression of identity, with its hands on music, fashion, language and generational change.

Since the ‘rowdy generation’ of the 1950s, teenagers and youth culture have been defined from the outside and from within. Young people proclaim their social identity through style, music and the spaces they occupy – which also makes them a visible target, and they become a bellwether (or scapegoat) for the state of the nation.

To the establishment, they are a source of anthropological curiosity and hand-wringing moral panic – as well as a key commercial audience, whether for consumer products, political movements or radio and television programming. An obsession with youth against mistrust and misunderstanding; attitudes towards the young are full of contradictions.

Today, youth culture is online, in a vast expanse of communities and identities. The internet has enabled a ‘pick n mix’ approach to music and fashion, while allowing local scenes to set trends globally, and giving young voices the platform to speak – loudly – for themselves.