Grace Helbig is sparking dialog about what YouTube, and by extension, the entire web, was once like over a decade in the past: a pleasant place.

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As a YouTube veteran, Grace Helbig has been right here for a very long time. She initially rose to fame in 2008, internet hosting My Damn Channel’s net collection DailyGrace.

However, she controversially parted methods with My Damn Channel in 2013. Because My Damn Channel nonetheless owned the DailyGrace present, Helbig had to make use of her personal YouTube channel as a substitute. While some followers supported her, others felt betrayed.

So, whereas this occurred earlier than the idea of cancel tradition, Helbig is aware of a factor or two concerning the web turning towards you. And throughout a current look on the “Ask Kati Anything” podcast, she made her emotions on the matter clear.

Grace Helbig on cancel tradition

During the interview, she mirrored on how it began, noting how drama/commentary channels “skyrocketed” by way of recognition between 2015 and 2016.

“It became, we are not creators collaborating, we are creators criticizing, and everyone is watching each other, not for entertainment, but to make commentary on and in a lot of ways, obviously, that’s great, because people should be called out for bad behavior, I agree with that, but there was a level of kind of scrutiny that didn’t exist in the early
years,” she defined.

In response, Kati Morton famous how the web was once “a place where you went as a respite from the real world, because everyone was so lovely.”

Helbig added, “I would leave [the internet] being like, yeah. It was just such a nice conversation. And now I’m like, terrified. I’m like, say, I want to expose myself to this right now. I know. Can I emotionally handle it? If someone’s like, ‘**** you, you stupid piece of
****.’”

@katimorton Old web period was completely different #cancelled #cancelculture ♬ unique sound – Kati Morton, LMFT

The YouTuber additionally stated that whereas she is making an attempt to “reenter the world of content creation,” the rise of cancel tradition serves as a barrier.

“With each ‘Yes, I’ll add that picture,’ ‘Yes, I’ll add that video,’ It’s like: add, throw my cellphone away, and be like, ‘Oh my God.’ It is just not what it was once. And you’d suppose we’d have a harder pores and skin by doing it for this lengthy, nevertheless it simply doesn’t completely work out that approach.

In the remark part of a TikTok that Morton posted of the dialogue, commenters debated whether or not the early web was actually a great factor.

Fellow YouTuber Tyler Oakley stated that what Helbig was saying is “so true,” whereas a second commenter added that “being a part of the early internet is something I will cherish forever.”

“There was such a difference between the 2000s, the 2010s, and now,” a 3rd famous. “It’s a terrifying, wonderful, horrible, magnificent place to be. But it always comes with such a toll.”

“It’s wild how the internet soured,” added one other.

“It was those tea channels that really kickstarted internet cancel culture, I think commentary channels followed suit pretty quickly,” suggests one other.

On the opposite facet, commenters have been much less satisfied.

“Commentary channels are not to blame by any means, let’s keep it grounded,” factors out one fan.

“The internet during the 2000s and 2010s was a different place,” an additional remark learn. “Yes, it was nice, but I also saw things I NEVER should have seen. For a lot of people, the internet was a good thing. The hat wasn’t the case for everyone. Now, everyone sees the ugliness in everyone else. That’s what bothers people. The internet gave people the ability to say their deepest, darkest thoughts and spread them to the world easily.”

Another strictly factors the blame at algorithms as a substitute, saying, “The rise of engagement-based algorithms is to blame. People are more motivated to pursue drama and controversy than positivity, because arguments drive up comment count.”

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