Interestingly, I think a lot of the Youtuber I watch are introverts, since a lot of the content is more on the "analytic intellectual, but also empathetic" side. A lot of them have a good deal of charisma anyway, but some of them really don't and don't seem to really bother with that anyway. It's a colorful palette. And no, I've never interacted with any of them, despite sometimes posting on reddit in hope of being replied to. Some are just so popular there's no chance I'd get a chat anyway. The vast majority of youtubers I watch only publish once a month, anyway (and paradoxically perhaps, they tend to be the most popular ones)!
With you, I enjoy when you reply, but I'm also fine when you don't. I guess the driest way I could put it is we're not mutually dependent, so while we can bring some good in each other, we also don't *need* each other, and our absence would therefore not be a source of hurt. While that sounds lonely, I also think healthy relationships don't have a huge reliance on mutual dependency (although, so called "co-dependent" relationships are probably occasionally healthy in the same way a music band can have really synergistic relationships between its members... but for some reason that sounds more like an exception than a rule to me).
Parasocial relationships generally get weirder the longer I think about them. It's true most good content creators make an effort to "manufacture authenticity," creating bubble-like moments throughout their content where you feel like you're "really talking to them," which is both true and not, and which nurtures the sentiment of a relationship with someone you've never met... which is good and not. Some Youtubers I watch have explicitly talked about times they were abused or have attempted suicide or have come out as X, and since then they've been receiving letters telling them how they saved the lives of people in similar situations. Some have received inappropriate mails from fans that were straight-up in love with them. When many people see you, you get a bit of everything.
I was just reminded of a low-profile Youtuber who used to tell stories of his life surfing on the back of his car seat when he moved in LA (stories of poverty and weird acquaintances). His was definitely a venting outlet, as well as a way for him practicing his acting skills. The video was just him telling stories straight to the camera for half an hour. It was both rough and entertaining. Sometimes, presenting too good can harm the authenticity... that's funny.
If you really want to try putting yourself out there, I think you need to consider these things. Although you also have to make a decision who you do this for (You? Some audience? Both?). You probably wouldn't have a very large following considering the time you'd have to spend doing other things (even if you were quite successful)... but a small reliable following can have its charm too. I know Quebec-based indie developers Sabotage Studio have had a pretty charming following on their disqord. Their game The Messenger was well received but did not gain "a lot" of visibility. Despite this, they appear to have put a lot of effort giving their fans some love by occasionally expanding on the game's lore with "staged events" on disqord. It's interesting to see these events being put up by the writer of the game (talking "as" other characters in the game), considering how it almost only appeals to people who are already huge fans of the game, while being lost in time afterwards!
With you, I enjoy when you reply, but I'm also fine when you don't. I guess the driest way I could put it is we're not mutually dependent, so while we can bring some good in each other, we also don't *need* each other, and our absence would therefore not be a source of hurt. While that sounds lonely, I also think healthy relationships don't have a huge reliance on mutual dependency (although, so called "co-dependent" relationships are probably occasionally healthy in the same way a music band can have really synergistic relationships between its members... but for some reason that sounds more like an exception than a rule to me).
Parasocial relationships generally get weirder the longer I think about them. It's true most good content creators make an effort to "manufacture authenticity," creating bubble-like moments throughout their content where you feel like you're "really talking to them," which is both true and not, and which nurtures the sentiment of a relationship with someone you've never met... which is good and not. Some Youtubers I watch have explicitly talked about times they were abused or have attempted suicide or have come out as X, and since then they've been receiving letters telling them how they saved the lives of people in similar situations. Some have received inappropriate mails from fans that were straight-up in love with them. When many people see you, you get a bit of everything.
I was just reminded of a low-profile Youtuber who used to tell stories of his life surfing on the back of his car seat when he moved in LA (stories of poverty and weird acquaintances). His was definitely a venting outlet, as well as a way for him practicing his acting skills. The video was just him telling stories straight to the camera for half an hour. It was both rough and entertaining. Sometimes, presenting too good can harm the authenticity... that's funny.
If you really want to try putting yourself out there, I think you need to consider these things. Although you also have to make a decision who you do this for (You? Some audience? Both?). You probably wouldn't have a very large following considering the time you'd have to spend doing other things (even if you were quite successful)... but a small reliable following can have its charm too. I know Quebec-based indie developers Sabotage Studio have had a pretty charming following on their disqord. Their game The Messenger was well received but did not gain "a lot" of visibility. Despite this, they appear to have put a lot of effort giving their fans some love by occasionally expanding on the game's lore with "staged events" on disqord. It's interesting to see these events being put up by the writer of the game (talking "as" other characters in the game), considering how it almost only appeals to people who are already huge fans of the game, while being lost in time afterwards!
As I said, it's a colorful palette.