I'm Back Witches! But Not on YouTube! Let's Talk About It! (Exposing The Darkside Of YouTube) PART TWO (FROM MY SAGE'S CORNER SERIES)
*Sip tea & read time: 35 min approx
Warning: Plagiarism, identity theft, and copying of this blog writer’s creative ideas and/or intellectual property, to any degree, will not be tolerated. Serious spiritual consequences will be rendered (and legal, if warranted) for such violations. Please be advised.
*PLEASE NOTE: THIS POST WAS WRITTEN WHILE I WAS ON MY YOUTUBE HIATUS! AS OF APRIL 2024, I AM BACK POSTING ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL! THE LINK TO FOLLOW ME IS AT THE END OF THIS BLOG POST!
Greetings witches!! I’m back again for part two of I’m Back Witches, But Not On YouTube! So, without further a due, let’s get into the rest of “the tea” about why I will not be returning to YouTube to build my online presence. This decision was based on the discovery of quite a few nefarious things taking place which helped me to reveal a very dark and disturbing side of YouTube. So, let's get into it!
1 “YOUTUBE HAS BECOME AN INCREASINGLY TOXIC AND UNSAFE PLATFORM FOR WOMEN CONTENT CREATORS!”
Sadly, this goes across the board with YouTube land no matter what niche your videos fall under. But for small content creators like myself who represent one or more minority categories, YouTube has indeed become an increasingly toxic and unsafe place. Whether that minority representation be based on race/color--or color as in complexion matters not. Because yes, colorism is a thing on YouTube just like it is in the real world.
Also, if your minority representation is based on a specialized niche such as, I don’t know being a witch and/or a tarot reader let’s say? Well, congratulations! Because if you do represent one or more of these categories, you have just become an instant target on YouTube, and all of the online quack pots, religious zombies, and non-medicated nuts who are attracted to tarot and other “spiritual content creators” who will troll and harass you online. This also includes those who hear “voices” and believe that they are the “Son of God” and/or your so-called "twin flame" or soulmate because they have developed some weird, para-social fantasy relationship or "connection" with you! Yes, unfortunately, these members of the Children Of The Corn will flock towards your small, barely visible YouTube channel like flies to shit! 😖
Also, because more and more women, especially indigenous women and other women of color have come to the YouTube platform as online entrepreneurs and content creators, many of us have garnered so much social, material, and financial success and abundance. It is the kind of success unlike what many of us have been able to achieve in the public work sector. Sadly, though, this level of gained and/or perceived level of independence and sovereignty for women content creators on YouTube have caused a lot of toxic, women-hating, breastmilk-deprived, sexually-confused males from “the manosphere” to create all-out campaigns and channels to commit identity and intellectual/creative property theft, as well as heinous acts to harass, to humiliate, to stalk, to dox, to cybertroll, to false flag our channels, and/or to have them removed outright if not simply shadowbanned!
These hateful, misogynistic trolls have even gone so far as to swat and gangstalk some women content creators offline in order to commit assault and/or murder for no other reason than because they are triggered by the success of these women. They are also triggered by the potential of success for many women content creators, along with their deep-seated envy and pathological competition and need to control the lives and mobility of women whom they feel are more successful than they are or will ever be! All the while “Mr. YouTube” just turns a blind eye and refuses to do one god-damn thing about the online harassment and the increasing unsafety for women content creators on its platform. They do however, have no issues with creating non-harassment policies and guidelines that they do not enforce consistently and equitably across YouTube with all content creators. 😑
In fact, it is just absolutely dumbfounding with the lack of support that many women content creators such as myself have received from the YouTube support members. Most attempts to receive some sort of help with my now "inactive" channel, for example, with being unfairly false-flagged and/or shadowbanned, and/or with me being subject to online harassment, trolling, and more just went totally unnoticed and blatantly ignored. In fact, in my three and a half years of being a small YouTuber, I was only able to reach a real person for assistance once out of numerous attempts over the same and sometimes other escalating issues regarding the unfair targeting of my channel.
Moreover, the issue that I had with my channel when I initially reached out was not even properly
addressed and resolved. Undoubtedly, it probably wasn’t even looked into,
because after all, I’m just a small content creator. So there was really
no incentive on YouTube’s part to even look into my matter of concern anyway. And
why you may ask? Because it’s all about the money with YouTube, folks! And if you are not one
of those “prized unicorns” with over 100k followers or more that generate
millions of views, and whose channels drive a lot of business to YouTube thru advertisements, merch deals, and profitable relationships with other companies
and affiliates, then sadly, YouTube doesn’t give a damn about you! 😡
What is more disheartening is that I found this out the hard way. However, many other women content creators have found this out the hard way as well. Bottom line? There is little to no reprieve or help with the online harassment and blatant attacks against women YouTubers. Unfortunately, the online predators and women-bashers know this and they continue to come for women content creators like myself, full force with little to no reprimand or consequences. In addition, these attacks against women and our small YouTube channels continue, until we’ve had enough and decide to leave the platform altogether! Coincidentally, I wrote about this very ordeal in my last blog that I posted over two years ago before my two-year hiatus, entitled, "Where Have All The Witches of YouTube Gone!" Sadly, not much has changed since then. 😒
Therefore, unless and until YouTube begins to focus more on its creators rather than the revenue that its creators generate for the platform, the harassment and online abuse and the toxic “social media ghetto” that YouTube has become will become increasingly worse for its women content creators, especially women content creators of color who represent a unique online niche on YouTube. Also, if YouTube continues to ignore this very real and problematic issue, many women content creators both large and small will continue to leave the platform in droves to other women-friendly platforms that are already existent, or to ones that they will galvanize together in order to create for themselves and for other women!
To be honest, I see this very
thing happening in the future (as within the next 5 years); but this
information will be for another post where I will write about the channeled
downloads that I have received about the future of YouTube. So stay tuned, because
I guarantee you don’t want to miss that post!
Overall, YouTube will continue to lose many great content creators like myself. Simply put, we have grown tired of this platform’s lack of support, increasingly toxic and gender-abusive online environment, its lack of incentives for small content creators to continue sharing content, and its lack of enforced guidelines and policies which dissuades online harassment and false flagging of channels. Unfortunately, all of these grievances have continued to escalate without the opportunity for us small content creators to appeal or to even be informed about who is covertly false-flagging/reporting our channels in the first place.
All of these issues that small content creators like myself have had to face, including the increasing constraints and censorship which curtails the freedom of speech and overall creativity for creators who prefer to speak candidly and freely, and with the ample quick fire of “F” and “MF bombs” at our disposal are also causing many of us creators who value our candid expression and autonomy to leave YouTube for fucks sake! *Hey, I couldn't resist here!* 😁
For despite being a grown ass adult and speaking like one to a grown adult and mature audience, content creators who create content for adult audiences still risk being demonetized or having videos removed from the YouTube platform for profanity, or for whatever other reason YouTube deems “inappropriate language” or actions for its viewers and listeners. In essence, they are continuing to create an increasingly hostile and toxic online environment for content creators by claiming that we are in violation of their rabbit maze of obscure and unclear policies.
So, like I sad folks, these dubious practices on the part of YouTube will continue to be more than enough to make many
more small (and large) content creators begin to throw in the proverbial towel
as it has made me. Now, will I quit YouTube permanently? I don’t know. But I
certainly don’t plan on returning to YouTube anytime soon. So don’t hold your
breath! Or, you may die! 😑
2 “WHERE WILL I BE BUILDING
MY ONLINE PRESENCE INSTEAD OF YOUTUBE?”
That being
said, this brings me to where I will be online outside of YouTube as I
continue to build my online presence and brand as a professional tarot
reader/diviner, spiritual teacher, and witch. So, as it stands, the only main social
media platform that I will be on in order to build my online presence is Twitter,
or X, or whatever the hell you call it now! *chuckles *
Ironically, when I first came online to dip my toe into the social media pool some years ago to gage the temperature--before building an online presence for my spiritual business was even a thought--I came on to Twitter. And, for where I stand right now with social media, Twitter, with its short-form content of both words, visuals, and audio sharing just seems more suitable for me in terms of building my online presence and spiritual business brand. Currently, I have a lot going on with my offline spiritual business, and with my life as a wife and as an "animal mommy." So, with how fast-paced the social media industry is, I just find it easier for me to choose just one beast and ride that one instead of trying to jump on and steer multiple bulls at one time.
I also chose Twitter as my preferred social media platform because Twitter is also more liberal
with its anti-censorship regarding language and profanity or even with its allowance
of Tweeters posting our political views which I can really appreciate.
And while YouTube is more concerned with competing with other mega video-based
platforms such as Netflix and cable tv, Twitter remains the staple that it once
was for the “little people,” and with everyone in between from all walks of life. This means that everyone from Tom the
Ceo, all the way down to “Paw Paw The Janitor” have a safe and reliable social media platform that can be used to promote our businesses, and/or to build our business or personal brands. I can appreciate
that. 😊
I can also appreciate Twitter’s
algorithm which is not at all like YouTube’s algorithm which is largely hustle
and competition based. For example, once you have been on Twitter for a while and it has
been established that you are not some troll or tin-foil hat wearing looney
spreading divisive, inflammatory rhetoric to everyone’s timeline, your Tweets
become more visible to other Tweeters on the platform and more people
begin to see and follow your page. This matters not if you have a verified
blue chip or if you are some known public figure or celebrity. To the contrary, I had been on YouTube for going on three
and half years to date, and I can guarantee you that the majority (I would say
90%) of my viewers and followers were none other than trolls and tin-foil hat
wearing loonies, loonies that just so happen to like and consume a lot of tarot
videos! *Lord help us!*
And, although this is a topic for a whole other blog, one day in the near future witches, we are going to pontificate together on just why such a large percentage of loonies, quack pots, and non-medicated, voice-to-skull nuts are attracted to spirituality, witchcraft, and tarot/divination in the first place, because it has simply gotten out of hand folks! But I digress.
Outside of Twitter, however, I
will be putting my efforts into building my online presence on my two semi-independent online platforms which is here on my witchy blog, One Wise Sage, and on my Spotify for Podcasters podcast,
“Sippin’ Tea & Tarot With Sage Podcast” which will be streaming
on Spotify, Iheart Radio, and other podcast sites. Not surprisingly, I am very excited
about that! Here is the link to my tarot and spirituality podcast here, which will be in full swing by the time this blog is published with new podcast series and new tarot and witchy episodes. https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sage-the-urban-witc
Interestingly, I had created
both my witchy blog and my podcast platforms at around the same time as my YouTube channel(s); but, because of the
level of time and energy that was required to build my YouTube channel, I neglected these other two platforms. But now that I have quit YouTube, I can
focus my energies and time on building my online presence on these two
platforms instead. So, moving forward, I will not be pressured to compete with anyone on these two platforms of mine. I am in
my own lanes and I am focusing on creating and posting quality content at a pace and
speed which is suitable and practical for me, instead of running myself into
the ground trying to keep up with the unrealistic standards of grinding myself
into an early hospital bed or mental ward trying to keep up with chasing the ever-moving
and evasive “YouTube carrot” in order to become a successful YouTuber. Um, no thank you! 😒
Sadly, my voice was largely suppressed and drowned out on YouTube, regardless of how consistent I was with posting a numerous amount of tarot and divination videos each day seven days a week! But this will not be the case going forward on my own witchy
blog and my own podcast. On these two platforms, the focus is not on views and monetization, per se, but on building my own brand and online community with quality content while remaining in my own lane, one listener and one viewer at a time. From here, I will also place
myself in a position to become monetized in other creative and alternative ways. Also, I will no longer have to worry about my content being flagged
and falsely reported constantly by chemically-imbalanced trolls and hate watchers who
are deliberately trying to sabotage my online success because I am a woman
content creator and a person of color, and/or because they are envious of me and my
gifts for whatever reason.
I will also not have to worry about all of my hard work going to waste because I am being shadow-banned because of censorship and the false reporting of my channel. I do not have to worry about being cyberstalked, trolled, and bullied because I can control to a larger extent who views and hears my content and who gets the opportunity to engage with me, unlike on YouTube where it’s the “free for all of fuckery!” 😕
You either like me and support
me on my independent platforms or you don’t. It’s that simple folks! There is no
campaign to have me silenced and to have my channel or content removed if you
don’t like me. That will not be an option for any hater or troll on my
witchy blog and/or on my tarot podcast. The climb will be slow and steady, yes,
but it will be a climb that I get to control and pace at my own rhythm without
all the toxic hustle culture and obsessive competition, and without all the online
social media drama that certain niches of the YouTube community like the tarot and
spirituality community have become known for, the kind of drama that sickens
me!
And side note: I don’t
know what the hell it is, like if whether YouTube has some kind of “redlining” going on
based on particular niches and content creators of color, but I‘ve often
questioned just how the algorithm is truly set up because it seems as though as
a small content creator who happens to be indigenous/African-American and female,
my tarot videos were unfortunately being pushed to the “wrong side” of the YouTube streets,
as in “the ghetto side of the YouTube streets,” the side of YouTube where viewers and
followers are problematic and hateful. The side of YouTube where rather than being supporters that subscribe
to your channel because they like you and can relate to your content, they are “hate
watchers” and religious zealots who oppose witchcraft and tarot, but are always
showing up to watch your videos and then spewing their nonsensical word vomit
in your comment section!
These are the problematic and divisive YouTubers and/or viewers who engage in “race wars,” “gender wars,” “witch wars,” “catfishing-for-some-ass wars,” and every other kind of fucking war because they are mentally and emotionally unstable. Yes, they are definitely unstable, but unfortunately they are functional enough to congregate in droves on YouTube and more specifically to your YouTube channel to troll and to harass you because your videos have been recommended in their feed and they have access to the internet! Like WTF?! 😡
And, not to talk down upon
certain groups of people per se, because I myself have come from less than privileged beginnings.
However, through strong faith, hard work and grit, and through relocation, education, career choices,
and dating/relationship choices (and later marital choices) where I totally eliminated a certain type and
class of males to date and build friendships with, i.e. those who typically demonstrate that they are socially
and relationally irresponsible and prone to creating generational cycles of poverty,
and “making baby mamas instead of wives,” I was able to change the trajectory of my life and to elevate.
So, I'm still trying to
figure out how these kinds of abusive, toxic, and problematic YouTubers and/or viewers that I
would NEVER interact or socialize with in my personal and offline life
were able to “force themselves” into my social media community and life online?
Like how were they even seeing my videos and content in the first place? Simple.
They were seeing my content because within YouTube’s algorithm, there is a sort
of “racial profiling” and ranking that takes place with each content creator’s
content based on their analytics of gender, race, size of channel, “some topics,”
and etc. and from there the algorithm determines for you who your
audience is or should be regardless of how inaccurate the data conclusions are,
and regardless of how you feel about it!
Now this is really fucked up to say the least because this type of "skewed data driving" drives individuals and groups to your channel with such diametrically-opposed views, lifestyles, interests and sensibilities, that online conflict is bound to occur. This was certainly the case for me as a quiet and serene witch and content creator who lives a “gated community type of life” suddenly thrown to the wolves and into “the ghetto side of YouTube” because of their biased data driving practices. As a result, I was a target of trolling, stalking, and all kinds of "unchecked ghetto fuckery" on YouTube simply because I was being racially and gender-profiled by “Mr. AI” on YouTube! Can we say #Yuck!? 😖
And I don’t know about you guys, but if you are anything like me, I am sure that this was enough for you to throw in the towel and say farewell to YouTube as a small, female content creator as well. But don’t fret my little pretties. Like I said, I will be around on Twitter which is @TheHouseOfSage777 or twitter.com/@thehouseofsage So please head on over (if you haven’t already) and follow me there.
Of course, I will also be right here on my spiritual/witchy blog, One Wise Sage at www.OneWiseSage.com Lastly, I will be over on my tarot and spirituality podcast, “Sippin’ Tea and Tarot With Sage Podcast” at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sage-the-urban-witc on Spotify and other podcast stations. So yes! As I said before, I will definitely be online building my online presence and business brand, but just not on YouTube! So, follow me to be a part of my online community and indie movement as I build my online presence one brick at a time.
So, how about you? Have you grown disillusioned with the lack of protection and safety on today's social media platforms as a woman content creator? Are you building your online presence on your independent platforms as well? If you don't yet have any independent online platforms, do you plan on building one or more? I would love to hear about it. So please do the following: 1. Join the One Wise Sage blog. 2. Share my blog posts on your social media, and 3. Post a comment! Again, let me repeat this for those in the back: JOIN, SHARE, AND POST! Got it? Good!
Until we vibe again,
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