KIDS IN TUNE WITH WHOLE NEW WORLD
As confusing as it is to adults, YouTube performers are a huge deal to kids – and I met one who proves why
YOU know the world has changed when you find yourself begging the kids to watch some television.
I mean, a book would be better … but I’m keeping my expectations realistic.
With so many screens available, I feel safest with the good old boob tube. I’ll take square eyes any day over porn viewed via Google gone wrong or an app that involves (computer) graphic violence.
At least there’s only the danger of a random swear word on mainstream TV – and that’s thanks to the AAMI “up ship creek” commercial.
And yet the only channel my kids want to watch is YouTube.
From DIY slime to videos of people playing video games (somebody explain this to me, please … actually, don’t. I don’t want to understand), there is something for everyone there. And by everyone I mean a lot of sick weirdos.
YouTube performers are the new celebrities. If you don’t believe me, you obviously weren’t at SeaWorld on Monday. That was the day that JoJo Siwa performed a packed-out free concert.
Jo who? Get with the program, old people.
JoJo is a singer, dancer and social media sensation with more than 1.4 billion views on her YouTube channel and seven million followers on Instagram.
She’s also Nickelodeon’s latest teen star, is famous for wearing giant bows in her ever-present side ponytail and her multitude of tween fans are called Siwanators. (Who makes up these names?)
In fact, the only relevance that last weekend’s Logies had to anyone under the age of 15 was that JoJo was in attendance.
And while I’m not a fan of YouTube – mainly because my kids think writing for a newspaper is weird and wish I had my own social media channel – I have to admit a liking for JoJo.
Not just because I like to borrow my daughter’s hair bows either.
JoJo’s a new age (under age) promoter of girl power who also takes a strong antibullying stance, particularly via her song Boomerang, which has 526 million views on YouTube – most of them from my daughter.
So imagine my girl’s devastation when we realised JoJo’s one and only Gold Coast date was while we were on a family holiday in Hamilton Island. God! Parents are so mean!! How dare we drag her to a tropical island?
Still, I understood. When I was 12 I missed seeing Ringo’s All Starr Band perform because we were on a family holiday. Yes, it was weird I wanted to go. Maybe my parents were just protecting my street cred?
But I’m clearly a far better parent than my own, because I managed to organise an interview between my daughter, her BFF and JoJo herself.
While this may not seem like a big deal to all those people who have never heard of JoJo, I’m telling you that interviews with YouTube stars are actually the hardest to get.
They don’t need the mainstream media anymore. But JoJo took the time for two of her littlest fans.
Oh boy, was it worth it. When my daughter heard her idol’s voice on speakerphone, she started to cry.
JoJo took the time to answer all their very nineyear-old questions. Eg: Who is your celebrity crush? (Answer: Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron.)
After the girls completed their portion of the interview (conducted amongst tears, giggles and whispers of “your question, no, that’s mine!”), it was time for a mother-toYouTube-superstar chat.
And parents, you may be over buying the big bows, but
JoJo really is a good girl.
Smart, well-spoken and courteous, she talked at length about the bullying she’s endured as an online celebrity.
“I’ve had people call me fat, ugly, a brat, annoying … and that’s from when I was nine years old,” she said.
“It was hard to understand why people did that but now I just focus on the positive things that my fans say.
“I try to connect with people too about how to move beyond the bullies, how to get yourself to a place where they can’t hurt you.
“That’s actually part of what I love about the JoJo bows.
“I feel like if there’s a girl at school who’s a fan and she sees another girl with a bow, she knows she’s got a friend. It’s a sign of a safe place.”
It may be an overly optimistic plan, or some cynics may say marketing ploy, but I’ve seen the smiles between bow-wearers. JoJo may be on to something there.
Even if not, it’s a relief as a parent to know there are still safe places online – it’s our job to find them and direct our children there.
Of course, as JoJo moves from YouTube to Nickelodeon, I may finally be able to convince my kids to watch some TV.
Damn it, now I’m gonna have to pay for a cable subscription.