Why Have Big Bloggers Gone So Quiet?

Blogging and YouTube are incredible platforms that allow us to share everything from our holiday plans to our favourite perfume with hundreds (sometimes thousands, maybe even millions) of people. But, as much I love to read a good monthly favourites post, I sometimes wish more 'bigger bloggers' would address important issues. It is understandable when your livelihood is based on the amount of people you have accessing your sites and investing in your merchandise but this palatable flavour of vanilla most bigger bloggers are selling us is starting to leave a funny taste in my mouth. I am not asking that everyone starts posting their political views every time there is unrest in the world but silence is not the answer. If your whole Twitter page is full of links to your merchandise or you plugging your new book but you refuse to engage with anything that is happening in the real world then I start to wonder whether you are really making the most of the influence you have. Through a single retweet, you can give a platform to someone who is fighting to be heard.

Big bloggers and YouTubers are often role models to young people across the globe. I would go as far as saying some young people idolise such figures and sometimes a little haul video is one of their only escapes. But they are doing these kids a disservice by not engaging with real world problems. How many young people of colour, Muslims, Jews, members of the LGBT community, and many more would feel reassured if their plights were supported by their favourite bloggers and YouTubers at times when they are being attacked? Although these problems may not affect them directly, these things are very real for much of their audience.

We, as bloggers, have power because we have a platform that isn't restricted or censored. We can say what we want and we can give a platform to the voices of others. But my influence as someone with 400 followers is a lot less than someone with a million followers. What I write can start a dialogue but it won't reach as many people. Those with a large following have the power to bring about change and, almost as importantly, to support and reassure their followers in difficult times.

In a world filled with so much hate, use your voice to try to challenge it. Apathy is what allows hatred to flourish. Don't be just another vanilla blogger who is too scared they may rock the boat. Live bravely and stand for what you believe in.