On Unfollowing YouTube Channels

 Her name was Natasha; she was Russian-born. She had a YouTube channel, a quirky sense of humor, and the largest country in the world as her backdrop.

She could even make a vacant lot look interesting.

Then the war began, and she started becoming increasingly political.

She lost her charm, turning into just another "Natasha"—no longer the one I once knew—becoming just another twenty-something with an arrogant conviction about how the world works. She adopted the aspirations of a "citizen of the world"—yet another cosmopolitan, progressive clone.

I also stopped following her friend, "The Depressed Russian," as well as another Russian woman—both part of her social circle of expatriate compatriots in Georgia. The latter stopped making interesting vlogs and, upon moving to the U.S., transformed into another would-be member of the international elite.

I should also mention a guy named Roman—the only man in this group—whom I unfollowed for the very same reason.

I also recall two other content creators of the same nationality whom I stopped following. One I hadn’t followed for very long, as I simply couldn’t maintain enough interest to keep watching. The other often spoke about introversion and high sensitivity—traits I tend to relate to—yet I stopped following her for the exact same reason mentioned below.

Even before the war in Ukraine—and the subsequent surge in my interest in Russians who dissent against Putin—during and shortly after the pandemic, I became quite interested in two American YouTubers. Both were Jewish (though they didn’t explicitly state it; I inferred this from their surnames, appearance, and other clues). Their channels were fascinating—covering more than just sewing and vintage fashion—and at the time, they put a great deal of effort into producing highly polished, well-crafted videos. Despite having no prior interest in fashion or needlework, I found myself watching their videos almost every week for two years or more. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict took on even greater proportions following the attacks of October 2023, leading me to unfollow their accounts when they began declaring their support for Israel—a stance that stood in stark contrast (or perhaps not) to their otherwise "progressive" leanings (a level of hypocrisy that knows no bounds). One of these individuals even took part in one of the most shameful pseudo-documentaries produced this decade—Netflix’s take on Cleopatra, portraying her as a "Black," "empowered" woman who twerks all the way to the floor...

More recently, I stopped following a Norwegian YouTube channel called "Introverted and a dog." The creator—a gay, upper-middle-class, married man—documented his daily life and that of his little dog in one of the wealthiest and most egalitarian countries on Earth. Yet, he could never quite mask his ideological leanings toward the "cultural left," which surfaced amidst his philosophical musings and artfully produced footage. It was a good channel, but one that lost its charm for me precisely because of this subtle, ever-present bias—the perspective of someone so incredibly privileged, yet so ungrateful for the country he lives in. He seemed eager to see his own nation consumed by the destructive forces of multiculturalism, all while perched comfortably atop his social-class privilege and a sense of victimhood. I recall there being a new video every Saturday (and I believe there still is); I used to enjoy watching them, usually first thing in the morning...

I also followed a young Norwegian woman for a while, who shared glimpses of her daily life with her partner—until a breaking point was reached.

And it’s not just foreigners I could talk about. For quite a few months, I followed a Brazilian woman living in Japan who presents herself like a real-life anime character—dyed red hair and a "kawaii" (cute) way of speaking and behaving, at least when on camera. I was charmed by her humor and the interesting facts she shared about a country I’ve always liked: Japan. But then, during the (dirty and rigged) elections of 2026, she decided to get politically involved and declared her support for the "father of the poor." That was enough for me to hit the unfollow button; after all, she proved to be yet another privileged, ignorant (or perhaps ill-intentioned) person, defending politicians and ideologies that do far more harm than good to ordinary people.

This shares a common thread with the other channels I mentioned: the erosion of the connection due to moral and political differences.

And don’t worry—as for the other channels I still follow, it’s likely I’ll eventually stop following some of them, too. This happens when I realize the creator holds a worldview that is incompatible or irreconcilable with my own, or if the channel loses its essence—shifting its direction, whether through the content itself or the creator’s attitude. In some instances—like the first one I mentioned—the change is stark: the original authenticity has given way to a more generic, sanitized version.

Interestingly, I’ve always gravitated more toward channels created by women. Perhaps it’s because my own nature is so deeply rooted in realism, which leads me to seek out a contrast—creators who produce calmer, "softer" videos—a kind of need for escapism.