The most famous video sharing website YouTube has generated a neologism youtuber. Curiously the term, which has become very popular in recent years, is not yet present in dictionaries apart from few sources:
- One who spends so much time browsing youtube videos that they have metaphorically root in the manner of a potato or other root vegetable. A couch potato of the new millennium.
(February 2009 – Urban Dictionary)
- (Internet) A user of the video sharing website "You Tube".
(yourdictionary.com)
Actually I have often seen the term used, with a different meaning, to refer to users who are active producers of their own videos which are regularly posted on the website. Some of them are considered stars within the community.
The 20 Most Popular YouTubers In The World:
YouTube has exploded since it first launched in 2005, becoming the de-facto launchpad for the next generation of celebrities.
We did the math and found YouTube's 20 biggest independent stars based on total all-time views
(uk.businessinsider.com)
The two definitions appear to contrast, the first one refers to a 'spectator' while the second one refers to a 'performer'.
Questions:
Which is the current definition of 'youtuber'? Was is initially used for viewers while now it is just used for performers? Or is the term too recent and still evolving that no clear definition is possible?
Edit: As pointed out by some users the UD definition may be inappropriate, but I think it is worth considering since it is a term mainly used by young people.
Best Answer
As a YouTuber myself and brother of quite the famous YouTuber, I would say this word is definitely used more often for producers, but also used as a general term for someone who uses YouTube often. I watch and create videos a lot on YouTube so I consider myself a YouTuber. I'm not sure that I would still call myself a YouTuber though if I only watched videos and didn't involve myself in the community.
At VidCon most creators are called YouTubers or Vloggers.
Also doing a Twitter search for #youtuber results in famous YouTube creators or new creators looking to gain subscribers/announcing their channel.
Here is also a list of YouTubers, which is a long list of popular YouTube channels, not viewers.
And here is a video about HOW TO BECOME A YOUTUBER, which is not about how to watch and comment on videos, but about building your YouTube channel.