Dear Logan,
Thank you. Not something you’ve been hearing much of in the last few days. I’ve been suspicious of you for a while now and your regrettable choice to post a vlog with a suicide victim confirmed my concerns.
Like many kids, my son loves YouTube. Until yesterday he was one of your 15 million subscribers.
He had been hoping for some of your merch, weeks before Christmas I’d visited your website looking for hoodies to potentially order. Every single thing was sold out and I was okay with that.
Yesterday my husband called me from work after reading about your latest stunt. We discussed how to talk to our son about you and the video. Our son returned home from school and within minutes reported that three kids in his class wore your merch on this first day back from holiday break We told him we needed to talk about you. We often talk about guarding our gates – protecting ourselves from images and ideas that are negative, scary, or hurtful. We told him you had posted something that we wouldn’t want him to see. We told him that you made a very bad choice and it made us uncomfortable you. We urged him to unsubscribe from your channel which he did.
Our son finds your crazy antics entertaining. Your viewer reach has afforded you a lavish lifestyle. You are richly rewarded for being a goofball. I, like most parents, don’t quite get it. I grew up without the internet – hard to imagine right? Now I have a love affair with Google and all the information at the tips of my fingers. But I’m old enough to know that not all the internet has to offer is good.
God willing I’m halfway through this life, at 22 you’re halfway to middle age, and my son is halfway to being an adult. We are all figuring things out along the way. We’re all navigating this new world as we go. With that in mind, I told our son you’d made a mistake and apologized. I told him you weren’t a good influence. Apologies are good, but actions are even more meaningful. Your motto is “Be a Maverick.” Which sounds exciting, but I don’t want my son to be a maverick at the expense of others.
We talked about the meaning and importance of one’s character. You are a wealthy young man who makes $12.5 million a year for having fun. Several million children are watching you. You’ve encouraged them to emulate your YouTube success. I’m a middle-aged mom who blogs to a very small audience and makes an even smaller amount of money doing it. We don’t have much in common. Honestly, I can’t begin to imagine being a millionaire at your age. I can’t imagine the freedom, nor the pressure. I know I made mistakes at your age, but fortunately, fewer people were watching.
So I thank you for revealing your lack of character and forcing me to take a closer look at you.
I have just one piece of advice:
“But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.” Luke 12:48
You have been given much Logan. More material wealth than the vast majority will ever receive. Much is required in return. Many trust you. Even more, is required of you. With your reach and resources, you have the power to do so much good in the world and I sincerely hope you begin doing so.
Sincerely,
One of the Millions of Concerned Parents
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