Tana Mongeau started her YouTube channel in 2015 and has become wildly popular across the platform for her vulgar mouth and off-the-wall story times. Videos such as “I Got Banged With a Toothbrush” and “I Got Arrested at Coachella” are all a part of her image of being a trashy, yet hilarious internet personality. Throughout her time on YouTube, she has stuck to her routine of making sit-down videos and storytimes, which has earned2 her over 2.7 million subscribers to date. Mongeau released a song “Hefner” this past week with a music video that has already surpassed 1.5 million views on YouTube.

But isn’t Mongeau supposed to be a comedian? Not a singer? Correct, and this is only one example of a YouTube personality believing that because of their subscriber count, they can do anything they want.

Recently, a slew of these comedy-based YouTubers have decided that they are skiled beyond comedy and video production. Not only are they comedians, but they have the experience and knowledge to become singers and book writers too.

Tana Mongeau does not stand alone in her jump from comedy to music with having no musical background: The Gabbie Show, Kian Lawley and JC Caylen (Kian and JC), and Ricky Dillon are all guilty of jumping on the bandwagon. They have all released music with the expectation that their millions of subscribers will support them enough to break them into mainstream music.

Despite the lack of talent, these types of YouTubers are using their young and impressionable audiences to make more money for themselves. Meanwhile, on the other side of the internet, there are artists struggling to gain and maintain the same amount of recognition and are going unrecognized. Success is not about talent anymore, but instead how much viral influence one already has.

Music is not the only territory these internet sensations have infringed upon. Several YouTubers have written books that have been wildly successful: sold out of Barnes and Nobles and number one on the New York Times Bestseller successful. These books break records once again because their young, naive audiences are willing to purchase anything in their blind dedication to their favorite internet celebrity. While these YouTubers are getting a free pass onto the New York Times Bestseller list, there are writers who have dedicated their time and money to going to school to master this craft. How is it that there are teenagers with no real writing experience have books that are selling out, but dedicated writers’ books still blankly on the shelves?

The unfortunate truth is that these YouTubers are just doing their jobs. They are expanding across different platforms with the faith that their young subscribers will follow. YouTube is no longer just a creative platform: it is a business. Artists who are working towards their goals without selling out to do what is popular are choosing the road less travelled and may never get to their destination.