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To Dream, Or Not To Dream

Hunter Smith

As human beings have grown throughout the ages, one major part of ourselves has not

changed. Everyone aspires to the stars, to follow their dreams, although not everyone heeds the

call. Most people question whether or not following their dreams is possible, with one side

saying no, that if one tries, they are doomed to failure, while the other side disagrees, saying that

only when one leaps towards the sun do they land among the stars. People argue that dreams

should only last for so long, and that after someone reaches a certain age, a certain level of

maturity, that they should give up those dreams, put aside “false” hopes and just become another

normal member of the working class. Many have tried, and failed, to fulfill their dreams, but so

have many tried and succeeded, reaching heights others would never have expected possible.

Time has proven humanity is capable of great things, as a whole, and on an individual level.

Fulfilling one’s dreams is a reality obtainable to those that try, that don’t give up, that persevere

through all of the trials and tribulations it might take to turn their dreams into realities.

In the current day and age, technology is all around us, with millions of people

consuming all the internet has to offer. Specifically, one site that gets millions of visitors a day is

YouTube, a website that lets users upload videos for anyone to view, as long as the videos are

acceptable by the site’s rules and various laws. A user can apply to gain ad revenue for their

videos, with the more views a video gets bringing in more money for the user. Google keeps

45% of the profits, while the content creators get 55%. In 2013, the average cost per thousand

views on a video was $7.60. (Rosenberg) Knowing this, consider some big name YouTubers,

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say, Pewdiepie, for an example, a name many know. Let’s say one video gets one million views.

Take away three zeros, or one thousand, from the equation, and that leaves us with one thousand.

That number, times the $7.60, equals seven thousand six hundred dollars for one single video.

Cut that price about in half, to represent Google’s share, and this one content creator has received

about three thousand eight hundred dollars for this one upload. Now multiply that times however

many videos he made that year alone, keeping in mind the view count was likely several million

per video, rather than one, and the figures get huge. At the same time, there are likely those that

tried to make the YouTube life work for them but just couldn’t get enough views to cut it.

Taking a step back from one site, the attention turns towards another that has been rising

in popularity: Twitch. Twitch, through a representative of theirs, named Chase, and only Chase,

said that their highest streamers can make six-figure annual salaries (Kang). Many people would

likely jump at the chance to do what they want, grow a community, and most importantly, be

able to live their lives just off of doing what they want. On the upside of the spectrum, big name

streamers such as NightBlue3 or TrumpSC have been wildly successful at living out lives many

only dream of. At the same time, many people are trying and failing to reach such heights

themselves, likely because of bigger names overshadowing them. But all it takes is perseverance,

and patience, when everything is said and done. Growing a channel takes time, but for those that

stick with it, and give it their all, they eventually get partnered, and will eventually reach the top.

Another industry in which people rising to the top can be seen is the music industry. As

an example, let’s take a look at one artist known as Eminem. As a teen living in a trailer park, he

struggled heavily, not making it in schooling and struggling to earn enough money. But through

his unwillingness to give up rapping, he eventually was noticed by Dr. Dre, and soared to the

top. He’s sold several millions albums, and has over $140 million net worth. (Claudio) He went

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from nothing, to being a huge success while just doing what he loved. Many famous musicians

from the twenty first century rose from nothing to be where they are, and they have worked hard

to get there. However, there are also a fair number of people that have tried, and failed, due to

not being able to get their name and music out there for the people to enjoy. This has led to such

jobs being considered the things of dreams, things that people can never truly reach, although

clearly they already have, and will continue to reach the top, with enough time and effort.

Switching over to another popular entertainment industry, film, we find more people, of

both highs and lows, showing consistently that things go both ways. Look at Jim Carrey, for an

example. He grew up in poverty, even starting to work an actual eight hour job starting at just

twelve years old to help his family survive. But now, he is a famous comedian, one very wealthy

man. In fact, the movie he played the main character in, “Bruce Almighty”, grossed $484.6

million. ("9 Celebrities Who Were Born Poor") Taking a look at the other side of things once

more, though, there are likely people still trying to land a major role in something that have only

gotten a minor part at best.

And then there is sports. Almost every sport star came from a normal background,

nothing special, but natural talent, the drive to be the best, and sheer willpower and effort have

pushed their careers into the upper echelons of their chosen sport. Take LeBron James, for

instance. Born to a 16 year old mother, he struggled through the first part of his life. Now, he’s a

very rich, very well-known NBA star. (McMurtrie) Many people aspire to become pros,

hopefully even major players, but not many reach the heights they dream of. With enough time

and effort, though, such dreams can easily become realities, which is what makes sports look like

such a good, and rather safe, profession. As long as there is interest in sports, these people will

live very well on their earnings.

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Throughout the years, people have dreamed of big things for themselves. Many people,

once they reach a certain age, usually around the time of adulthood, they decide to put away their

dreams, settling down with an average job, getting a family, etc etc. But those that aspire for

greater things for themselves? As history has shown, time and time again, no matter a person’s

background, if they give what they love enough time and effort, they can do great things. High

school dropouts can become famous actors, musicians, and more. People that just want to play

games can end up making good money by sitting at home, doing the thing they love, typically for

an audience. Those with dreams, and the willingness to stick with them, will reach the stars.

Those that go against the norms of society and risk it all to pursue the thing they love, and take a

leap of faith, usually reach their goals, while those that put their dreams to the side to aim for

more “normal” goals will never know how things would’ve been if they hadn’t given up.

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Works Cited

Rosenberg, Eric. "How Youtube Ad Revenue Works." Investopedia. Investopedia. 26 Mar. 2015.

Web. 20 Oct. 2015.

Kang, Cecilia. "He Wants to Make a Living Playing Video Games Online. But Will People Pay

to Watch?" The Washington Post. The Washington Post. 31 Dec. 2014. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.

Claudio. "10 Rags To Riches Millionaire Musicians." The Richest. The Richest, 28 Jan. 2014.

Web. 22 Oct. 2015.

"9 Celebrities Who Were Born Poor." The Huffington Post. The Huffington Post. 26 July 2013.

Web. 21 Oct. 2015.

McMurtrie, Kelly. "5 Sports Stars Who Went From Rags To Riches." The Richest. The Richest,

17 May 2014. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.