At least, that’s how many subscribers EthanGamer, a 13-year-old gaming channel host, has accumulated. Ethan joined YouTube in mid-2013 and has since then created a massive stockpile of gaming videos. Many of his videos take place in the popular game Roblox, but Ethan has also filmed himself playing Minecraft, Red Ball 4, LEGO video games, and various other games. 3 months ago, he launched his own mobile game, Ethan Gamer Land, where his fans can play and watch his videos.
I’ve never gotten into gaming videos but have always been curious about them. When I was very young, I used to enjoy watching my older brother play Legend of Zelda games. People who watch gamers on YouTube probably feel some of the same vicarious excitement and investment that I used to feel when watching my brother.
I decided to watch one of Ethan’s most popular uploads: “I’VE HAD ENOUGH OF SCHOOL! Let’s play Roblox!” The video was about a half-hour long, which seems to be on the longer side relative to his other uploads which range from about 6 minutes long to 40 minutes long. I thought the video was mildly entertaining – his commentary in his cute British child voice was adorable, the game looked interesting, and he seemed to be good at the game.
When I scrolled down to the comments, I saw that they had been turned off, which makes sense since COPPA laws don’t allow child-oriented content to have comments or targeted adds. However, I was curious to know whether Ethan’s comments had always been off or if they had just been turned off following the recent YouTube-COPPA agreement which resulted in increased COPPA Enforcement. I found a Wiki about EthanGamer which stated that Ethan’s channel used to have comments activated and that, with his parent’s supervision, he had been known to reply to comments. I would have liked to know what the comments on his channel had looked like. I find great entertainment value in reading comment sections on YouTube videos, and I personally am always disappointed when I scroll down to find that comments are turned off. I imagine that many young YouTubers are similarly upset about increased COPPA conformance, especially those who were in the habit of reading & responding to comments and those who have seen their viewership drop since comments have been disabled.
I understand why COPPA has chosen to disable comments on child YouTubers’ videos – comments can be very vulgar and insulting. As Salter (2016) describes in Crime, Justice, and Social Media, any technology which allows people to communicate can be used to harass, argue, and abuse. If I were a parent, I don’t think I’d want my children exposed to some of the rude things people say in YouTube comments. However, it makes me sad to think that young people who are passionate about their channels aren’t able to get as much out of them as they used to.
I wonder how Ethan feels about these COPPA changes. He’s clearly very dedicated to his channel, considering how many videos he has uploaded. Furthermore, the creation of his own mobile game and the existence of EthanGamer merch suggests that he wants his channel to stay strong and thrive – maybe he is even hoping to make a career out of his gaming channel. I’m curious to see how well he sticks with his channel as time passes and whether he will eventually decide to cater to a less child-based audience as he gets older to increase the interactivity and profitability of his channel.
The absence of YouTube comments has not stopped Ethan from engaging with his audience. Ethan has accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. He has retweeted his fan’s posts and tweeted when he is playing certain collaborative games so that his fans can have the chance to log on and interact with him. He has 26.7K Twitter followers, 18.1K Instagram followers, and 18K followers on his Facebook page.
On the subject of how this channel appeals to children, I think a lot of that has to do with both the games Ethan plays and Ethan’s personality/commentary. The gameplay gives viewers a chance to sample games that they may not have or see a game they do have through another person’s perspective. Ethan’s personality and commentary make watching the gameplay more fun and exciting. His comments reflect the thoughts that another child might be having as they play the same game. Between the gameplay and commentary, viewers are able to play the game vicariously.
Salter, M. (2016). Crime, Justice, and Social Media. New York, NY: Routledge
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