Why are we all so obsessed with transparency?

When was it that we as a society decided that transparency is critical? At what point did we feel that we, as consumers, as citizens, as neighbors, as parents, as viewers, had the right to demand that other people give up their privacy?
Over the past few weeks there has been an uproar within the YouTube beauty community as creators have sat down at their desks, on their floors, in front of their couches, propped up against the bottom of their beds, and “told their truths”. The comments on these videos are filled with hate, anger, disgust, and mistrust.
At what point did we feel that transparency was so necessary? Why should someone who began doing YouTube as a hobby and managed to make a career out of it share with us every single detail of their business model? Who are we to get mad at them?
Those very people who sit down and create those videos are then vilified for not “being honest”, for not “getting real”, for “making excuses”. How many of us, the viewers and consumers, have actually been honest and real with those in our lives to the extent which we are demanding from these creators? These creators who have already shared so much of themselves on the other side of that camera, who have given us a glimpse into their lives.
Why are we attacking them? Who are we to attack them? Quite honestly, they owe us nothing. They rely on our views, our patronage when they have events, and our support when they come out with products. However, the fact that we spend our time watching them, our energies visiting them, and our money supporting them does not mean we own them.
At the end of the day, these people are still people. We can choose to keep subcribing to their channels and liking their videos, or we can decide to stop watching, and change to some other channel. Just because the creators of these videos have decided to let us into their lives through a window does not mean that we can break down the door and walk right in because we saw what’s inside. The creators of videos on Youtube have chosen to put themselves into the spotlight, but they have not chosen to divulge their entire life. They deserve privacy just like everyone else.
Especially in America where the subject of money is always touchy, who are we the consumers and viewers to demand that they share everything about how they get theirs? Of course there will be shady business deals, and of course there will be people who are only in it for the money and demand absurd amounts of money to make videos. But just because this career started out as a hobby for the majority of these people doesn’t mean that it stayed that way. The biggest youtubers, the ones who are getting the most backlash and who have the most subscribers are the ones who have turned this hobby into a career. Not all of them are pure, and most of them have probably made at least one choice that might be frowned upon by at least a portion of their viewers, but as viewers it is our job to remember that they are also people.
Just as we wouldn’t want someone demanding we give them an all-access pass to every detail of our lives and jobs, we shouldn’t demand the same from them.
Is it right that some YouTubers make an obscene amount of money by accepting sponsorships and presenting ads painted as reviews to their viewers? No. Is it right that some YouTubers aren’t exactly as nice as they appear in their videos? No. But the main point that I’m trying to get across here, is that they aren’t perfect, and we can’t expect them to be.
