Conclusion: Upload Humanity
The sustained affective labor seen in vlogs, conspicuous consumption videos, and ASMR points to the necessity of affect as a form of capital. Since the social world has broadened to include its virtual dimension, entry into its sphere of exchange—and the subsequent extraction of economic capital—requires that the producer first "prove" their humanity to the viewer through the sale of their authentic self, replacing organic methods of recognizing a person on the grounds of a shared humanity.
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In order to promote one's own line of merch, a vlogger must first establish that they are relatable and authentic. This is accomplished through positive affective labor (such as self-deprecation, editorializing, and disavowal as seen in Shane Dawson and Jake Paul's vlogs) or negative affective labor (such as Trisha Paytas's eight-minute cry session or Markiplier's "motivational" video). Sometimes the producer knows how to use YouTube's platform to their advantage, and makes a video showcasing their wealth in order to generate more views, and thus more wealth. Some, like Mr. Beast, earn their popularity by filming the affective labor of others, which is then used as the focal point of the video. Lastly, ASMRtists such as GentleWhispering Maria put on the most obvious performance of affective labor, but it elicits such physically strong affective responses from viewers that their feelings of authenticity and gratitude are amplified, driving them to donate their own money, and not just their time, to the performer.
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While this revelation is perhaps a bit ominous in that it forecasts how a dangerous and exploitative form of capitalism can flourish on any new medium, this affective labor has allowed digital relationships to run far deeper than many of the ones we hold in "real" life. The problem arises from YouTube's algorithms, which requires a near-daily performance of many of these content creators and can lead to burnout or significant dissonance between the persona and the true self. Despite these issues, YouTube has given rise to endless hours of entertainment and robust communities of emotional support — but at what price?