PewDiePie has stepped back from YouTube for his first break in 10 years of making videos.
The YouTuber has been uploading every day for years and, with him recently admitting that he’s ‘feeling very tired’ after working so hard, it’s no surprise he needs some time away.
It’s no secret that YouTube creators have often suffered from burnout, with Lilly Singh and Elle Mills speaking out about the difficulty of taking breaks on a platform where viewers expect regular upload schedules.
And, with Felix catering to an audience of more than 100 million, mental health coach Henry Johnstone and Clinical Psychologist Janina Scarlet explained just why his break is so needed.
Janina told Metro.co.uk : ‘The pressure of making new content, along with pressure of timely video releases, and being subjected to frequent harassment and trolling can be exhausting to anyone.
‘Like any other workers, YouTubers are at risk for experiencing burnout. Burnout is an official medical diagnosis, which can result in feelings of exhaustion, frustration, and irritability with one’s job, sometimes leading to insomnia, panic attacks, depression, anger, interpersonal conflicts, and thoughts of suicide.
‘In some cases, burnout can lead to physical pain, such as migraines or body tension, as well as heart disease, stroke, and early death.
‘On the other hand, influencers like PewDiePie who take a break from their work are likely to see meaningful restoration to their health, allowing them to be more rested and motivated to produce content when they return.
‘By modeling self-care in this way, PewDiePie and other influencers are also encouraging their followers to also take better care of themselves and advocate for their needs.’
Henry, meanwhile, added: ‘Everybody needs to have a sense that they are a congruent individual – this largely comes from knowing one’s self on a personal level.’
He went on to say that Felix has had to deal with a ‘colossal amount of pressure’, pointing out: ‘He will have to take a break now, he has to spend time with himself.’
Henry continued: ‘Our bodies send us all kinds of messages that we need to stop, mental illness isn’t always random, he is very likely to be in danger, because he has no inner knowledge of himself, he only knows what he presents to his subscribers and, like the digital space PewDiePie inhabits, this forms no solidity at all.’
He went on to advise: ‘YouTube need to not penalise him but rather set a standard for looking after their top contributors.’
Viewers were left emotional after Felix uploaded his final video, although the Swedish star promised to come back ‘with 10,000%.’
Pouring himself a drink, he ended the video by saying: ‘I just wanted to take this moment to give a toast…thank you for watching across the years…it is a big thing, even though it isn’t a big thing.
‘I want to say thank you for watching my videos; it makes me happy…Cheers to you.’
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