The Future of Celebrity: Unjaded Jade X Zoe Rabbini
The Nature of Youtube. An Interview.
YouTube is lousy with shiny Millennials expertly contouring, cleansing and complaining. Be honest, when you hear “YouTube Influencer”the first thing that comes to mind isn’t exactly authentic, grounded and substantial. Until now. Enter Unjaded Jade, Gen Z’s new and improved YouTube star. Jade is everything her over groomed and underqualified predecessors are not. Barely one year since her first video, Jade’s brand of “Veganism. Academia. Confidence.” is pure Gen Z. Zoe Rabbani, a London-based student who is currently spending a gap year traveling throughout Southeast Asia, emailed with Jade to get to the bottom of this academia thing.
Hi Jade! My name’s Zoë, I’m 18 years old and from the UK, and have just finished my A Levels. I truly love your videos and the atmosphere your channel encourages, and in many ways I look up to you — your encouragement of self-love and confidence has impacted me. I’m currently on a gap year travelling with my family, and I’m very sorry we cannot Skype, I was really looking forward to talking to you! I have some questions, nevertheless, and hope they you enjoy answering them. I wish you the best of luck with your exams and traveling, and if you ever have any questions about gap years, you know where to find me. xox Zoe
Zoe: You describe your channel as Veganism, Academia and Self-Confidence. Why are these things important to you?
Unjaded Jade: Growing up through the school years, I always loved helping others in lessons, mentoring younger students or giving the occasional tidbit of revision advice, and it was through this, I guess, that I found my passion for sharing my love of learning. I really do believe you are not defined by grades, but rather the work ethic and mindset you have towards learning, and the fact I can help people on a larger scale through my platform is so important to me!
As for veganism, I have always loved animals, wildlife and the environment. As soon as I researched veganism and animal agriculture further, I realised the disconnect I had between my beliefs and my lifestyle choices. I love spreading the message of veganism in a non-preachy and compassionate way in the hope that it’ll change other people’s lives as much as it did mine.
In terms of self-confidence, I feel it’s almost my duty to my 13-year-old self to empower young people to better believe in themselves. Our generation is riddled with self-doubt and insecurity, two intangible but crippling feelings. Through the promotion of self-love, my aim is to help people realise their own capabilities and just how worthy they are of success.
Z: Do you think that the nature of YouTube, where anybody can amass a following, is more good than bad, or more bad than good?
UJ: After weighing it up, call me an optimist, but I have to go with more good than bad. Despite the fact certain individuals can amass followings for just about anything, the fact that anyone can share content to a large number of people is rather empowering. Without the skewed bias of mainstream media, creators are able to share literally whatever they want with likeminded people, or begin to voice issues that media fails to cover. I think the beauty of YouTube is that these “YouTubers” are always just average people first. No one is a celebrity. This aspect of relatability is what is so wonderful.
People amass a following for being who they are, for helping others or for posting about what they love, and although some users seem to gain a following for seemingly trivial content, I suppose that’s part of the crazy freedom of the internet: to have the choice to follow whomever you want, even if they’re just ‘anybody.’
Z: Making your videos is a form of art. Do you think everybody should find the time to be creative?
UJ: Absolutely! The number of times I’ve heard my brother sigh that he’s not creative is crazy! Life is busy, definitely. You may think you’re poor at art, that creative writing is a waste of time, or that you’re just not a creative person, but I passionately believe that everyone is creative and that expressing this innate human nature to create is important, whatever form it may take.
My videos have become the most beautiful creative outlet, and before that it was always writing stories (even fan-fictions on Wattpad back in the day!). Nurturing this intuitive creativity is not to be overlooked.
Z: You advocate expressing yourself and your feelings. For those who might not be used to this, why is it important and how would one start?
UJ: Expressing your feelings, in my opinion, is one of the most crucial ways to care for your mental health, particularly as a teenager. The nature of suppressing how you feel, pretending to be okay when you’re not and never taking time to reflect on your mental state, unfortunately, only causes these feelings to bottle up. It’s a difficult thing, this journey to being more open about the natural fluctuations of your mood, and I think a really good way to start is by journaling or meditating. Whether it’s just when you wake up in the morning, upon coming home from school, before bed etc, writing a line in a journal about how you honestly feel, or sitting quietly with your eyes closed and reflecting on your feelings can completely shift your day.
Z: What’s one thing being a YouTuber has taught you about people our age?
UJ: As much as it’s not a pretty thing to speak of, I suppose I’ve learned about the changeable nature of people our age when reacting to the success of another. It’s an interesting and ultimately saddening realisation when numbers of likes, subscribers and comments on a screen can alter people’s perceptions of you.
Z: Do you think more is expected of young people today?
UJ: In terms of school grades, definitely. The pressure imposed on young people is ever more tangible as you ascend the academic years. We’re all here just striving to achieve the top grades in a new, much more challenging exam system. It does seem we’re expected to know much earlier in our lives what exactly we intend to do with them, such as choosing our subjects at a younger age. Regardless, I can’t speak representatively on this, as I never lived as a young person in my parents’ generation. All I know is that the pressure placed upon us is talked about much too frequently!
Z:What do you think it is about your videos that attracts your viewers?
UJ: Haha what a question! I think in some ways it may be the authenticity with which I run my channel and how my videos are about helping others, being more positive, or promoting topics I’m passionate about. I guess I’m so far from the “beauty” YouTubers that the platform is famous for — maybe it’s refreshing? That, or people just want to get good grades and I’m there for a bit of motivation when it’s needed! Whatever the reason, I feel so blessed to connect with these people.
Z: How has YouTube changed you?
UJ: I feel as though I’ve grown into myself in the last year. I more confidently own the things I’m passionate about, am less concerned with the thoughts and comments of other people, and I’ve learned how to juggle two entirely different worlds of being an average teenager completing A levels, and being a recognised YouTuber with a platform of thousands. I’ve learned to truly embrace who I am, facilitated by the beautiful and positive community I’ve somehow built around me. I guess my YouTube channel is just an extension of who I am, and through it I’ve been able to cultivate my creativity and self-confidence.
Z: There’s a large movement on YouTube that encourages a clean eating/fitness lifestyle — especially for young girls. Whilst this has its benefits, do you think it can be damaging?
UJ: Though much of it is well intended, I do think the stricter nature of the “clean eating” lifestyle has damaging effects, definitely. Particularly as an impressionable young girl, it’s so easy to idolise the YouTubers you watch, or to forget that these edited snippets online do not reflect all the less perfect ongoings of that person’s life. Young girls should instead be reminded that they are enough, right that second, and that a healthy lifestyle is as much about mental health as it is about what you consume. In many ways, I speak retrospectively about my 13-year-old self here…
Z: Do you think there is a problem of low confidence in our generation?
UJ: With the onslaught of social media platforms, ease of editing at our fingertips and more celebrities than ever to admire, I do think low self-confidence is a real issue, one that does not have a simple answer. Our world growing up has placed a socially emphasised importance on the number of followers you have, or the fact that photos of yourself pertaining to the body image “aesthetic” receive more likes. Low confidence is a difficult topic to broach, and though most teenage girls suffer these feelings, people rarely speak openly about it.
Z: How does it feel to be a role model for people your age?
UJ: Terrifying! I feel a large amount of responsibility in what I share and who I influence, though I suppose in a way it’s better that I understand the weight that my actions can have. In many ways, I love that I’m able to share messages I’m passionate about in the hope of inspiring, but it’s equally important to remember that I’m nothing but an imperfect human. I make mistakes, I’m not a good-grade machine and I’m definitely no expert on the topics I love talking about. Being a role model is a huge compliment, but I’m not perfect!
Z: If you could go back in time to your 13-year-old self, what would you tell her?
UJ: Jade, you are beautiful. You are not defined by those rolls on your stomach. Despite what you think, you’re not the only one with those stretch marks on your thighs. Social media may tell you which body type is “perfect,” but one day you’ll realise that you’ve been perfect all along, just the way you are. (And go vegan Jade, it’ll change your life!).
Z: Convince me to go vegan in three sentences!
UJ: Did you know that animal agriculture contributes more greenhouse gases to global warming than all of the world’s transport combined, or that producing just one pound of beef uses 2500 gallons of water, as opposed to the same weight of potatoes at 30 gallons?
And, as naïve as it sounds, I never even realised that for the milk we drink, cows must be impregnated to produce milk for their young, and that in drinking this milk we are taking it away from a calf who is dragged away from their mother at birth and killed to ensure they don’t drink any of the milk that we decide to take from them.
I have never felt more positive, more energetic and healthier in my life than while being vegan, a diet that saves my non-vegan family a lot of money in feeding me, and eliminating dairy has not only cleared up my skin dramatically, but introduced me to the most beautiful community of compassionate like-minded people.
*and breathe*
Z: It seems like YouTube is just a first step for you. Where would you like to be in 10 years?
UJ: It scares me that I know none of the specifics of what I want to do in the following (very crucial!) years. One of my life goals has always been to write a book, so maybe I’ll have accomplished that at this time 10 years from now! I’m also becoming very interested in public speaking and the power of motivating people. Though the fear of being in front of a crowd is still very much there, public speaking is something I’m keen to develop and explore. In 10 years, I hope to be just as content, still growing and inspiring on whatever platforms exist in that age. I’d also love to have influenced a few more people to have gone vegan by then too! And though I may not hold the answer to world peace, maybe I can help catalyse it. We’ll see what the decade holds. ;)
Z: What is YOUR favourite YouTube channel?
UJ: This is so difficult as there are so many worthy creators I love watching and admire. I think I’m going to have to go with Ellen Fisher, a vegan mother who lives in Maui, Hawaii. Posting beautifully edited vlog-type videos of raising her two gorgeous boys, she promotes a healthy vegan diet in such a non-forceful and compassionate manner that it’s really inspiring. Her videos never cease to brighten my day and remind me of the loving nature of veganism.
So lovely speaking with you Zoë! Thank you for such kind words about my channel (I’m honoured!). Though I’m very jealous of the fact you’re currently travelling, I can definitely say that it only makes me more excited for my own adventures to come! I hope life is treating you well and I’d love to keep in touch! Sending you a whole lotta love ~ Jade x
