With over 13 million subscribers, anywhere he goes, his fans go too.
David Dobrik’s story sometimes seems like one out of a movie, but with social media gaining greater influence on our everyday lives, his journey represents a bigger change that is happening within the community of those who are growing up with the internet. On Saturday, July 13th, 2019, over 3,000 people lined up outside of Water Tower Place in Chicago, IL with the hope and anticipation of getting to meet Youtuber David Dobrik at his Clickbait Merch Pop-Up Shop.
Dobrik, hailing from the suburbs of Vernon Hills, started his career out on Vine in 2013. After reaching around 1 million subscribers, Dobrik, with his friend and fellow Youtuber Dom Zeglaitis, decided to move out to the Hollywood Hills with hopes of making it in entertainment.
Since his move, Dobrik has changed the Youtube platform in a major way. With over 13 million subscribers, his vlogs show us his friend groups’ carefree dynamic and genuine connection with each other. Most importantly, Dobrik’s outward appreciation of the opportunity he has inspires his fans to be kind while living their lives to the fullest.
Dobrik describes his videos as “a highlight reel of the best moments of his life,” but to many, they are much more than that. Dobrik’s videos are bigger than just vlogs. His journey on Youtube represents the positive impact we, as young people, are trying to make in the world. Additionally, a lot of us turn to Youtube for a bigger type of inspiration, a different way to live our lives. Fellow Youtuber Jason Nash, who has a podcast called Views with Dobrik, explained to me at Dobrik’s pop-up shop that “it was incredible to see that at their age that they were smart enough to take that chance to pursue something they really wanted to do.”
Countless fans see Dobrik as someone who tries to be as authentic as possible – something that’s clouded on the internet today. When asked what she liked about Dobrik, Alani Castro, a fan of the vlogs, said, “I love how much he genuinely cares for his friends and family. He was worth getting here at 5:30 a.m. for since he is someone I really appreciate.” Emily McGee, a long time Dobrik fan who woke up at 4:30 a.m. just to make it to the shop says that “David’s carefree attitude and way of life got me through my first year of college.”
In our own backyard, we have someone who inspires tremendous change in those who are the future. People should start paying more attention to that. David Dobrik is a testament to the idea that if you work hard and do what you love you can be successful, which is the ultimate message he spreads to his fans. He even said it himself, stating to me at the Pop-Up Shop that “if you want it enough, there’s no reason for you to not to be able to learn it by yourself and be successful. Just be authentic and be you,” which is a sentiment we as a younger generation are striving towards.