Once private, now public, families bare it all for views, fame,
and fortune. But at what cost? Dive into the world of drama, influence, and ethical dilemmas.
Not long ago, my Nano would tell me it was discourteous to interfere in other people’s business. Whether it’s what’s going on inside their house or their family should be completely irrelevant to us.
And if you think about it, it’s rather rude to intrude and poke your nose. We would often be shunned inside upon being caught eavesdropping as kids, but little did Nano know that years after her passing away, there would come a time when people would invite you inside their house to have a closer look at their vulnerabilities, share their secrets, even if they barely knew you.
Family vlogging, a concept that might have once raised several questions, is now a booming trend worldwide. And Pakistan hasn’t stayed behind.
Imagine this: a family records everything that happens within the four walls of their house: the good, the bad, and the embarrassing. All of this becomes entertainment to millions of people worldwide.
Result: millions get a chance to see how other families, those like and unlike them, live, celebrate and create moments. But also how every memory that was once meant to be special can now be monetised – every sentiment becomes an act, every emotion, a stunt.
So, the question is, where do we draw the line?
The Rise of Vlogging, Family and Otherwise, in Pakistan
In the past two decades, Pakistan’s digital media has undergone a drastic transformation, with vlogging becoming a prominent category of content.
With YouTube returning to Pakistan in January 2016, creators were given a platform where they could be themselves. Creating a pathway for cultural storytelling and modern content creation.
Thus, promoting the rise of vlogging in a country where most people usually do not have the creative freedom they wish they did.
And then came the increasing number of families sharing their lives online, documenting their days, happening or not, and reflecting on real-life moments, sometimes intricately created for the sake of views.
And guess what? People went gaga! They no longer had to make the effort to find out what was happening in someone else’s life; it was right in front of them.
From Sistrology to Rajab Butt: What Does Family Vlogging Offer?
What’s common among the biggest YouTubers in Pakistan? Apart from the millions they earn, it’s how they earn it: through family vlogging. Youtubers like Rajab Butt, Ducky Bhai, Sistrology, and Shahveer Jafry have slowly centred their content on family vlogging, even if they didn’t start as family vloggers.
Why, you ask? Probably because there is nothing as fun as watching emotionally loaded desi families in their most ‘authentic’ element. The authenticity is questionable, but the entertainment is certain.
From room tours to morning routines, shadi shenanigans to ‘sudden’ fights. Family vlogging is loaded with entertainment that you wouldn’t otherwise witness, even on the best of Netflix shows.
Why? Because it’s all too real! Let’s be honest: the desi within all of us needs juicy gossip every once in a while, and when that gossip is presented to us on a silver platter, for free, who would miss it? Whether it was Shaam Idress introducing his ‘elder daughter’ out of the blue or Rajab Butt showcasing his extravagant wedding, we all have had our ‘oh my God!’ moments.
But entertainment isn’t all they have to offer. Every day, millions of Pakistanis get bombarded with sad, depressing news. Amid this, family vlogging presents itself as an escape – a source of happy-go-lucky content they can connect to emotionally.
Seeing vloggers like Sistrology breaking norms constantly is a push to the millions of teenage girls watching. Proving that if you have the will, you might just have a way. Others like Ducky Bhai, Rajab Butt, or Maaz Safdar might not always have teachable moments. But their content is light-hearted, happening, and at times even fun.
Commodifying Families
Now, here’s where the problem lies: imagine a childhood where every aspect of your life, good or bad, is documented and shared online. Sure, your sweet little cries are adorable for the viewers, but when does cute become creepy?
The thing about the internet is that you don’t know who is sitting behind the device, watching your videos. If you wouldn’t trust a stranger with your child in real life, why would you do it on the internet?
Your home is the one place where you should have privacy, no questions asked, and family vlogging exploits the very core of this necessity. It’s human to have a bad day and shut down every once in a while. But considering you have a camera in your face 24/7, you either suppress how you feel, become a villain or a topic of entertainment for millions of viewers. And then comes the need to explain. Questions, questions, questions.
“How did you afford a car?”
“Why aren’t you living with your family anymore?”
“Did you two get divorced?”
“Are you expecting?”
And the questions never end, but can you really blame them?
The Hidden Cost of Picture-Perfect Families
The exploitations, however, lie on both ends. While members within the families are being commodified. Thousands of people who watch these vlogs are daily put under the impression that what they see on their screens is perhaps the definition of a ‘healthy, functioning family.’
When I watched Ducky Bhai get his wife a Rs1.5 million rupees Gucci bag, I automatically set it as a precedent of a loving husband. After all, a good husband gets his wife an insanely expensive bag, right?
I’m sure most Pakistanis had a similar feeling watching Rajab Butt’s stupidly extravagant wedding as they struggled with growing inflation. While these family vloggers show the best of their lives every day, how often do we get to see them struggling or just being human?
We live in a society where people are easily influenced by anyone with a camera, and that puts a lot of responsibility on those holding it. Family vlogging might be here to stay. But as both creators and viewers, it’s worth considering whether we’re losing something deeper in exchange for viral fame.
As millions of viewers feast on the juicy drama and picture-perfect moments of vloggers, we’re also left questioning what it’s all costing us. What happens when the smiles fade and the glimmer dims? Maybe that’s where the real stories lie.