Why did you select YouTube to share your spirituality?
For me, YouTube was the best and least worrying strategy to unfold my message. The restrictions that come from broadcasting on TV, for instance, don’t exist with YouTube. There’s much more freedom and I believe that’s crucial with regards to a subject like faith. You want to have the ability to communicate freely and truthfully. That’s one thing I satisfaction myself on – speaking about points that some individuals might think about controversial or taboo.
Why would you say it’s crucial to share among the extra taboo subjects you focus on?
Effectively, the query I all the time ask myself is: If I do not speak about it, then who will? The rationale why I’m doing that is that I would like individuals to be enlightened. I would like them to really feel snug coming ahead with their troubles, speaking about them and searching for assist. The journey of enlightenment means answering tough questions on behaviours and speaking about issues that make us uncomfortable. So If I’m not able to cowl taboo subjects, then what could be the purpose of getting this channel?
With nearly half 1,000,000 views in your YouTube channel, how do you propose to develop your social profile to succeed in extra followers?
I’m proud that my channel has grown very organically with none advertising and marketing. It’s gone from one subscriber to about 9000, and I believe it’s as a result of I’m providing one thing distinctive to my viewers. Nonetheless, I wish to attain a bigger viewers on-line so I’m planning to usher in some social media consultants who might help me construct my on-line following.
Have you ever used Google’s instruments, programmes or coaching to assist your channel develop and be discoverable on-line?
Google Search helped me rather a lot, particularly within the early phases of beginning my channel. I Googled so many alternative issues to seek out inspiration for content material, to see what different individuals had been doing within the non secular area and to look at how TV hosts performed interviews. I imagine that each younger particular person wants somebody to take them someplace inside themselves that they can’t get to by themselves. Nonetheless, typically you do not have that particular person to carry your hand, so I used Google as a place to begin to assist uncover and discover alternative ways I may share my non secular message.
Has beginning this channel helped together with your private religion journey?
Most positively. Some individuals assume that plenty of non secular leaders simply grew and have become non secular. However that’s not all the time the case, it’s a journey. Once I’m interviewing my company on YouTube, I’m studying from them too. These interviews are altering my entire perspective on life. I’ve learnt new behaviours, akin to praying extra recurrently and I’ve learnt extra in regards to the particular person I need to turn into. Sharing my religion on-line has definitely helped me turn into a greater human being and helped me turn into a greater chief in my group. These are all issues that I didn’t anticipate to occur when beginning a YouTube channel. As I’ve grown inside my very own private religion, it has made me really feel extra accountable. I deliberately make cautious selections for myself and the model. For instance, now that we now have a studio, we will make higher modifying selections like deciding after a shoot that the content material isn’t proper for our viewers. We will select whether or not or to not launch a video relying on if it’s useful to my group.
Do you’re feeling like you could have a accountability to your YouTube viewers to supply recommendation and steerage?
I do really feel accountable, and that is why I am very cautious about who I select to speak to on the channel. We fastidiously analysis every matter we really feel is related and well timed from sexuality to addictions and physique points. These should not simply subjects for Muslims, however for a wider viewers too. Folks like myself, with a group that depends on us and trusts us for info and recommendation, ought to really feel accountable as a result of we now have an obligation to our viewers.
Why do you assume younger individuals’s belief in non secular establishments is low, however belief in non secular influencers continues to be excessive?
Younger individuals’s belief in non secular establishments could also be low proper now however non secular establishments are extraordinarily essential. They supply information that’s incalculable and eternally invaluable. Younger individuals might are likely to put non secular students on a pedestal that appears out of attain whereas non secular influencers like me are dedicated to creating followers really feel extra snug and understood as a result of we discuss to them in a really relatable, human approach. This typically means when the students do one thing we disagree with or make a mistake, we lose all belief in them forgetting that they’re human beings too. As influencers, we do have to be cautious as a result of individuals are wanting as much as us. We have to preserve educating ourselves and be extra prudent and honest in no matter we do.
With many Muslim influencers rising massive digital followings, what’s the way forward for the religion within the digital age?
I do not assume it should be very totally different, however it’s going to positively enhance. These days, lots of people are sharing their non secular information on-line, and we even opened a web based faculty through the Coronavirus pandemic. We had about 4000 college students globally, Muslims and non-Muslims, and we had students from all around the world providing free lessons for anybody desirous about studying extra about Islam. It actually confirmed us that individuals are prepared and keen to study extra about faith. That’s why we have to encourage as many clerics as attainable to grasp the significance of social media. As a result of we’re in a time the place lots of people are very snug with studying and understanding religion digitally. So we have to guarantee that the people who find themselves consultants on this area, who’re perhaps from a unique or older technology, can attain audiences in particular person in addition to on-line.
What could be your recommendation for younger individuals hoping to have interaction with spirituality immediately?
My first piece of recommendation is to be open-minded. You’ll be able to find out about faith from a variety of various individuals, no matter their religion. Secondly, as a youngster, I believe it’s essential to discover a mentor. Somebody who might be there for you, who will information you, who will love you sincerely and assist you as a lot as they will in your non secular journey. Thirdly, attaining spirituality doesn’t suggest it’s a must to neglect your humanity. As a substitute, you ought to be embracing it. Embrace how fickle you might be, how imperfect you might be and embrace your errors. It is going to carry you nearer to the non secular particular person you need to turn into. Lastly, be affected person with your self throughout your private journey. Focus much less on societal pressures and be extra self-accountable.
Posted by Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Communications & Public Affairs Supervisor, West Africa, Google.
