If you follow me on Twitter, you probably would’ve seen the Twar that I was involved in last week.

For the past few weeks, @MickyCost has adopted the #YouTubeZA hashtag to start a Twitter chat. The theme for each week is voted for largely by South African YouTubers, and Michael tweets specific questions that people reply to.

These conversations have been taking place for several weeks and while spreading awareness that there is a community of YouTubers in South Africa is needed, I didn’t see any tangible support or change extending beyond Twitter. While this was my opinion, I wanted to get an indication of how others felt and so I created a poll asking them if they’d seen a change. And let’s just say I ruffled some feathers…

#YouTubeZA Fantomdan

Despite not voicing my opinion in the poll, numerous people saw it as an attack on the initiative and Michael (who also took it personally). I kept reiterating that I simply asked an objective question that was open for anyone to answer and I was not criticising the intentions of the chat. That didn’t stop the onslaught but I wasn’t afraid to share my opinion when confronted and that made me quite unpopular.

I knew the poll would be disruptive, which was kind of the point. If we aren’t thinking critically about what we’re doing and the conversation doesn’t lead to action then what’s the point?

Truth be told, I don’t believe that the #YouTubeZA conversation has amounted to anything more than a Twitter chat, which is disappointing. To my mind, the hashtag should be used to not only spread awareness but to act as a way of YouTubers connecting and sharing each other’s work. What I (and multiple others I have spoken to) have found is that people are participating in the Tuesday Twitter conversations and that’s where it ends. This suggests that people are simply using the chat as leverage to be discovered or learn from others.

What’s funny is that the results of the poll showed that 57% of people who voted felt the #YouTubeZA chat was nothing more than a weekly conversation so I’m clearly not alone. Despite that, I was attacked directly and indirectly because I wasn’t afraid to voice my opinion on the matter and chose to stand by my convictions.

Take Aways

  • Don’t be afraid to rock the boat. Having integrity means you aren’t always going to be everyone’s favourite, and this week reminded me that it’s okay to be challenging.
  • If you’re going to be bold enough to share your opinion, be prepared to be challenged. Hopefully, you are clued up enough on the subject before adding your commentary but either way, be prepared to engage in a debate.
  • Knowing when and when not to engage is so important in all aspects of life. Not every confrontation deserves a response, especially on social media.
  • Be open to debate, but have the courage to stand by your convictions when challenged in an analytical, mature and composed manner.
  • Know who matters and whose opinions should really matter. We all have opinions and particularly on social media we feel entitled to voice them. In doing so we open ourselves up to criticism, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing as sometimes it’s good to have your point of view challenged. This can either lead to your beliefs being altered or reaffirmed. Knowing whose opinions to consider or take seriously is key to forming sound points of view.
  • Be the change you want to see in the world. The onus is on us to work towards the vision we want to see. You are setting yourself up for disappointment by expecting others to do more, so it is on us to do what we can with what we have and not rely on others to bring about change.
  • Emotional intelligence is a thing. Not everyone has it, but self-awareness and being accountable of how you feel is vital when navigating conflict in any setting.

What are your thoughts? Has your viewpoint ever been challenged? How did you respond and would you react differently now? Let me know.