Get that bag! That’s a phrase you’ll hear a lot on YouTube from people trying to make big money on the platform. It’s often encouraged by their fellow content creators and for the most part, mostly never led to anything malicious. However, after the raid of sponsorships YouTube from one infamous mobile game, Raid: Shadow Legends, one has got to wonder, is it ethical to take sponsorships for a product you won’t use or care for in the slightest? Have we moved past that sentiment, to which no one really cares about the authenticity of the product been promoted to people?
After that massive wave of sponsorship videos from Raid: Shadow Legend by many, many YouTubers both gamer and non-gamers, I began questioning the YouTuber’s who promoted that game and whether or not I can even trust them when it comes to future products placements. I’ll admit, there were a few YouTubers that I didn’t mind seeing them sponsor the game at first, seeing as I wanted to watch them prosper. However, after pondering about it, I felt kinda weird about it. It’s like, “I know you don’t play or like this game, yet here you are promoting it to me, telling me that the game is awesome and to download it, yet after the sponsorship is over, that will be the last we’ll hear about the game from you.”
You can tell when a YouTuber enjoys a game, as they’ll often times show off at least a couple of gameplays from it, maybe talk about it on their social media here and there. However, that’s not the case.
The worst part is when they tell you that they’ll “see you in the game”, knowing damm well they’ll never get past Level 10. I think is disingenuous and damages whatever authenticity that YouTubers may have with their community in the long run. I should mention that they’re some YouTubers who’ve somewhat hinted at their community that they’re just doing it for the money, without breaking whatever contract they have with the sponsorship, and most in the community themselves tend to be fine with as long as it’s not too often. However, that sentiment tends to wane over time!
Still, I’m looking at it from a principle matter, and I have to say it does disappoint me. I understand it of course. With Youtube always punishing creators with monetization, they have to find ways to make money if it’s their full-time job. However there’s a right way and a wrong way to make money online, and Raid: Shadow Legend showed me that most are willing to take the latter. Anyways, let me know what you guys think, am I wrong for having this way of thinking?
