When roaming through the vast halls of Grady High School, you will see a wide variety of people and faces, all with unique personalities, experiences, as well as stories. But how do we find out more about these fascinating students? Some of them broadcast their lives online, on a popular platform called YouTube.
Created in 2005, YouTube has become one of the largest video platforms on the internet throughout the world. With hundreds of millions of users every day, YouTube is an outstanding place for people to share their content.
Among these YouTube Creators is Grady sophomore Kutay Citlak. Along with his dedication to basketball and schoolwork, one of his biggest hobbies is the popular video game that is trending with teens worldwide called, “Fortnite”. He dedicates his YouTube channel to gaming videos of him showing off his skills.
“These days, Fortnite is what I spend most of my time doing. Whenever I get home, I immediately pick up my controller and go for a Victory Royale. I play it almost every day if I’m not stacked with homework,” said Citlak. “At first, it [Fortnite] was sort of just a hobby, but recently I’ve been watching other Fortnite YouTubers, like Daequan and Myth. I thought it would be fun to try it out myself.”
Just recently, Citlak was one of one hundred participants in an intense game with YouTube sensation Ninja. Although he was eliminated, it was a big moment for Citlak’s gaming career.
Not all of his videos are just him playing by himself. Citlak said he enjoys switching up his gameplays, whether that be him attempting Fortnite challenges or featuring other fellow gamers. He plans on growing his channel even more and coming up with more crazy video ideas.
“I like Fortnite because it’s competitive, everyone has their own way of playing, and it’s fun going against other good players. I like to post my high kill games,” said Citlak. “I’m constantly coming up with new ways to make the game interesting, and I want to share that with my subscribers. Maybe one day I’ll even become a professional gamer with, like, millions and millions of subscribers.”
On the other hand, Grady sophomore Kristen Hart brings a completely new realm of content to YouTube. Being a vegan herself, her videos are focused on veganism and how to maintain a healthy lifestyle with a unique diet.
When arriving at her channel, viewers will immediately be greeted with the phrase “quite possibly the most extra vegan you will ever meet” in colorful writing. Hart uploads a wide range of videos, including vegan makeup tutorials, vlogs, farmers market hauls, and thrift store hauls. With her happy, upbeat personality and colorful aesthetic, viewers are attracted to her channel.
“YouTube is a great way to voice my opinions and showcase my life. I like talking to the camera and making something that I enjoy and believe in,” said Hart. “I think my videos are great at educating people on the basics of veganism. I think there are many stereotypes that are not true.”
Hart has been making videos for more than a year and has plans to make more in the future.
 “At the end of the day, I make videos for fun and don’t take it too seriously,” said Hart. “Maybe in the future I could look into posting videos more regularly, but for now it’s just something I enjoy doing whenever I have the time.”