Is this a goodbye as Tyler Oakley as a YouTube staple? Or, will he return with a bang after saying “see ya later?”
Back at its humble beginnings in the mid-2000s, YouTube was an online space for teenagers to post awkward and funny videos. There were vlogs, skits, makeshift music videos, and more. But, they were all humble in their origins. Then as the years have gone by, YouTube has become a major business on the internet. (Google buying the site played a large part in that reality). Despite that shift, many original YouTubers are still creating content for their devoted fans of over a decade. But now, one member of the old guard may be saying goodbye…. for a time.
YouTuber Tyler Oakley’s oldest video on YouTube was published 13 years ago. Since then, Oakley has consistently been uploading to entertain and educate his fans. In fact, Oakley was one of the first openly gay creators on the video-sharing website. But now, the veteran YouTuber says he needs a break.
“I am just going to cut right to the chase,” Oakley said in a video titled “See ya later.” “I have been making videos and uploading them every single Tuesday at noon for years and years and years. If you have been watching since I have been in college, I was 18 when I started, and I’m now 31.”
“I’ve never really taken a break and it’s now time for me to take a break,” Oakley added. “I’m going to be focusing on some other stuff that I’m really excited about, and I’m really ready to develop out and make into some fun new little things. I haven’t felt a fun, new little thing in a long long time.”
Oakley, who has advocated for gay rights and given lectures on how to succeed on new media platforms, added that he would never fully leave YouTube. But, Oakley noted that the date of his return to the platform is undetermined.
“I will be back at some point, but I’m not going to say when, because i don’t know when and it might take me a second,” he admitted before adding that he hopes to keep going as long as he loves doing it.
Thank you for the years of sharing your life and perspective with the world, Tyler Oakley. You’ve helped to created visibility for LGBTQ youth and helped YouTube become the major platform that it is today. We look forward to your return.
