5 Popular YouTubers Who Understand What It's Like To Be Depressed
It feels nice to be understood.
Bruce Dixon on Unsplash YouTube has become a platform filled with everyday celebrities — the people who seem to have their lives together and displayed in short clips for your amusement. Whether you visit to find makeup tutorials, video gameplays or interesting facts, YouTube has you covered.
But some YouTubers break this expectation and get really real with their viewers. Like, depressingly real. Don’t fret, though, because it’s the YouTube way to cheer you back up with funny memes, hilarious commentary and cool animations.
We've gathered our picks of the top 5 YouTuber influencers who understand what it’s like to be depressed and talk about it honestly in front of the camera.
Even if you don’t struggle with mental health issues or the other problems the YouTubers are discussing, I’m sure you’ll appreciate their take on what depression feels like, what it's like to live with depression and hear about their experiences with mental illness.
1. John Green (vlogbrothers)
Hank and John Green have founded a YouTube community of millions by posting short, educational videos and skits containing horribly amazing dad jokes or silly songs they made up. In fact, you’re probably familiar with their sister channels, SciShow and World History, if not the vlogbrothers themselves.
If you’re a regular viewer, you probably also know that John struggles with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), which can cause anxiety and depression. What’s great is that he doesn’t shy away from talking about the somewhat embarrassing issues that his OCD can create. He and Hank aren’t afraid to talk about the mundane and challenging aspects of their lives, which makes them relatable as YouTube stars — and even more so as people.
2. Kevin (Call Me Kevin)
Although Kevin does not openly talk about mental illness like the other YouTubers on this list, he does have a community full of fans who have expressed their thanks for being able to face their own battles with depression and other mental illnesses.
Also, Kevin does often get real with his viewers. In 2016, he was hit by a car while walking out of a movie theater. This random event forever changed his life, and Kevin confessed that he’d have been miserable without YouTube as an outlet.
3. Marina Watanabe (marinashutup)
Marina is a lesser-known YouTuber, but that doesn’t mean she’s any less of a mental health advocate. Not only does Marina talk about her experiences with depression, but she also shatters expectations that others may have about it by explaining funny memes and posts that she mentions on her blog.
Her videos are great for people with depression and those who have loved ones with the mental illness. By sharing helpful resources, like these apps that let you track your mental health status on-the-go, and unpacking common misunderstandings about depression, Marina encourages the world to continue talking about the mental illness.
4. Thomas James Ridgewell (Tomska)
Famous for the asdf movies and several other hilarious animations, Tomska is still making new content. He offers a refreshingly optimistic take on depression that discourages viewers from being their own doctors and diagnosing themselves, which can be dangerous.
While his channel isn’t overrun with videos about depression, you can see that mental illness plays a role in his daily life and the way his videos are produced. However, his channel is full of amusing sketches and animations that can make viewers forget about their struggles with mental health for a bit.
5. Mark Fischbach (Markiplier)
Markiplier is a YouTube celebrity unlike any other. He has a substantial fanbase, but his popularity hasn’t stopped him from making personal videos featuring only him, talking directly to the camera about his feelings about himself and his life.
Being so open and honest about his situation, being willing to cry on screen and being so down-to-earth makes Markiplier and the community he has on YouTube so incredible. Anyone struggling with depression or other mental illnesses can be reassured, knowing that a YouTube personality as big as Markiplier also struggles with his own mental health.
Bonus: Ted-Ed and Button Poetry
Meaghan Summers is a writer who covers astrology, pop culture and relationship topics.