- Vine star-turned-YouTuber Christine Sydelko, who has 1.3 million subscribers, has quit the internet.
- She announced on Twitter that being an influencer was a “trivial” job, and she couldn’t stand the “fake drama” anymore.
- Sydelko, who hasn’t posted a YouTube video in six months, seems to have struggled with the influencer lifestyle for a while.
- In June she tweeted that it was the main reason behind her anxiety and depression, and in July she said she couldn’t stand it “when internet people insert themselves into every single little drama regardless of how well they know the people or the situation just for attention.”
- Several YouTube stars have spoken about their struggles with burnout. For Sydelko, the reward for creating content just might not have been worth it anymore.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Vine star-turned-YouTuber Christine Sydelko announced on Twitter that she has decided to “quit the internet” this month, calling it a “trivial” job.
She said she couldn’t stand the “fake drama” influencers get themselves into, “or acting like they’re a creative when they just film themselves living.”
“It was sorta fun while it lasted but I value my privacy more than followers now see ya,” she wrote.
I quit the internet stuff just fyi it’s such a trivial job i can’t stand the people getting in fake drama for attention or acting like they’re a creative when they just film themselves living it was sorta fun while it lasted but i value my privacy more than followers now see ya
— Christine Sydelko (@csydelko) September 6, 2019
Sydelko, who hasn't posted a YouTube video in six months, also tweeted back in June that she wasn't enjoying being an influencer.
"hot take: i find being an influencer extremely unfulfilling and it's the main cause of my anxiety and depression," she wrote. "And i wish i finished my degree and had a normal life hehehehehahahaha I'm fine."
When someone suggested she finish her degree and buy a flip phone, she said: "I've literally thought about doing that so many times lol."
hot take: i find being an influencer extremely unfulfilling and it’s the main cause of my anxiety and depression and i wish i finished my degree and had a normal life hehehehehahahaha I’m fine
— Christine Sydelko (@csydelko) June 8, 2019
Sydelko alluded to the fact she was tired of influencer drama several times. She tweeted in July saying she couldn't stand it "when internet people insert themselves into every single little drama regardless of how well they know the people or the situation just for attention."
"Yes I have a specific person in mind as I'm typing this goodbye," she said.
can’t stand when internet people insert themselves into every single little drama regardless of how well they know the people or the situation just for attention and yes I have a specific person in mind as I’m typing this goodbye
— Christine Sydelko (@csydelko) July 2, 2019
Sydelko has 1.3 million subscribers on YouTube and 942,000 followers on Instagram. She posted a screenshot of her final tweet on there, too, with the caption "bye bye."
She started vlogging back in 2015, initially with fellow YouTuber Elijah Daniel. She became well known for her comedic Vines. In one of her most famous ones she stands near people in New York mispronouncing "Merry Christmas" as "Merry Chrysler."
http://instagr.am/p/BsyfTUhgoti
It's become pretty common in the past few years for YouTubers to admit they've been dealing with burnout. AlishaMarie, PewDiePie, Elle Mills, Liza Koshy, and Lilly Singh are just a few who struggled with the unrelenting pressure of staying relevant and posting new videos.
Burnout, therapist and YouTuber Kati Morton previously explained to Insider, "occurs when the reward for whatever we do is not equal or more than the effort we have to put in."
As Insider's Kat Tenbarge reported, burnout, exploitation, anxiety, and depression all factor in to why becoming a viral YouTube sensation isn't as enviable as some of the platform's stars make it out to be.
For Sydelko, it could well be that creating original content for her various social media platforms just wasn't as rewarding for her in the way that it once was.
Insider has reached out to Sydelko for comment.
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