“Our data shows, across millions of channels and hundreds of different time frames, that on average, when creators take a break, their channels had more views when they returned than they had right before they left,” a spokesperson says. In a statement to Fast Company, a YouTube spokesperson reiterated what CEO Susan Wojcicki mentioned in her 2019 open letter to creators about the algorithm not taking into account upload frequency as a metric to suggest new videos to users. But in addition to creators being more mindful in how they approach their content, there’s the question of what more platforms such as YouTube could be doing. The notion of YouTubers uploading content as seasons is actually something Chamberlain alluded to when asked about the future of content creation amid so much burnout.
Morton notes that in the creative space, that urge to constantly churn is disproportionately felt by digital creators as opposed to those working in more traditional entertainment media, such as television and film, where there are built-in breaks between seasons or projects. That triggers a stress response in our brains between the amygdala, which is responsible for behavior and emotions, and the prefrontal cortex that’s tasked with decision making and moderating social behavior. I have the same problem, and its a serious impediment to using LMI. Morton puts an even finer point on defining burnout as a misalignment between the effort put into both work and everyday life and the rewards, or lack thereof, we get in return. Re: Command key not working between home and target Mac.
WHO listed burnout symptoms as exhaustion, increased mental distance from your job, and reduced professional efficacy. Morton offers a clearer picture of where we are now with burnout in the creator economy, ways to cure it, and the myths around recovery. Chamberlain is currently taking a hiatus from YouTube, citing that, in addition to feeling like she couldn’t take a break from posting, her style of vlogging her everyday life was becoming untenable. For creators specifically, it’s acutely felt when their content largely crosses over into their personal lives, as YouTuber Emma Chamberlain explained in a previous episode of Creative Control.
Of course, burnout can occur in any occupation.