Recently, Forbes published an article ranking the highest paid Youtube stars of 2018. According to the list, a Youtube channel, Ryan ToysReview, was the highest paid platform with an annual income of around $22 million. Even more surprising is the fact that Ryan ToysReview belongs to a seven year old boy, Ryan. Throughout the year, Ryan published contents of reviewing toys, playing quirky games with his family, and singing nursery rhymes. Following Ryan ToysReview, Jake Paul placed second with an annual income of around 21.5 million dollars. Just by looking at these numbers, everyone was shocked by the amount of money each channel was making. Not to mention, Youtube has even inspired some young adults to dropout of school or job to pursue a career of being a Youtuber.

Emma Chamberlin, a 17 year old from the San Francisco bay area, blew up on Youtube due to her relatable and hilarious content. As the 17 year old from San Francisco saw the possibility of becoming famous, she dropped out of high school and moved to LA. Not only Emma Chamberlin, but a D.I.Y/ Beauty vlogger, JenerationDIY, dropped out of a prestigious university, New York University, to pursue a path in Youtube. These “dropping out of school/job to be a Youtuber” is not a rare story. In fact most stars on Youtube began their channel after quitting a day time job or school.

With all that in mind, is Youtube a stable career? Should more young adults drop out of school to become famous? Or, is Youtube too risky for the money?

Clearly, Youtube is not a stable career. Time and time again, channels like Kingsley or Michelle Pham disappeared despite their loyal fanbase. Not to mention, not all Youtube channels gain fame. In fact, only a few are able to make millions of dollars due to their views. According to Business Insider, a famous Youtuber, Olga Kay, makes $7.60 per 1,000 ad views. In order to make pennies, a video has to be watched for at least 30 seconds and/or click the ad. There are several other factors that are contributed into a channel’s success including sponsorships and collaborations. It should also be noted that the internet comes in a series of waves. To clarify, what once was trending won’t be trending forever.

Immediately giving up a stable career for Youtube is completely irrational. Yes, one must follow their dreams. However, once a dream can no longer make one happy, is that really worth it?