Justine Ezarik posted her first video to YouTube in 2006. Fast-forward seven years, and the internet entrepreneur—who goes by iJustine on the web—has nearly three million followers on Twitter and YouTube. She posts entertaining, informative videos that touch on everything from tech trends to makeup tutorials and routinely receive hundreds of thousands of views.
Justine took a break from Tweeting, Tumbling, Facebook-ing, Instagram-ing, and YouTube-ing to chat about working with DoSomething.org (this year's campaign, which was in partnership with Intel, connected almost 80,000 teens and seniors through technology!) and what's next on her agenda.
You were one of the very first YouTube celebrities. How does that feel?
"People say to me, 'Oh, you were so lucky, you had one viral video and then everything just came to you.' But being consistent and continuing to engage with an audience is what landed me where I am now. It's a lot of hard work. It's a lot of editing, and I shoot all of the videos myself. But I really enjoy it, and really love being able to put a smile on peoples' faces."
How has the tech world changed since you put your first YouTube video online?
"It's changed a lot because so many more people are doing it, so the market is much more saturated. You just have to keep up and be consistent. It's so cool to see so many people embracing the internet these days."
Has it be hard to break into the tech industry as a girl?
"It has been difficult because people don't want to take you seriously because you're a girl. In high school, it wasn't cool. Now it's so much cooler! Even for girls now, it's cool to be on a computer, it's cool to be a computer programmer."
You've also been on a bunch of TV shows, like The Vampire Diaries. Are you more interested in TV than YouTube these days?
"The Vampire Diaries is my favorite show, so being on it was cool. I really wanted to be on all of my favorite shows, so I was on The Vampire Diaries, Law and Order, and House. And now I've been working with Spike for the past couple of years. Right now TV and movies are trying to move online, which is interesting because a lot of shows are looking to put online talent on TV. The hard part for me is trying to maintain balance."
How did you get involved with DoSomething's Grandparents Gone Wired campaign?
"I've always talked to people about my grandmother, who is really into technology and has been on Twitter since 2006. It's unreal how tech-savvy she is. I've always been involved with it and my dad has always been tech-savvy, so we got her a iMac when it first came out a long time ago."
Why do you think it's important for teens to introduce their grandparents to tech?
"Grandparents need that first nudge of, 'Hey, check this out!' and kids need to take that first step. It's something that kids are into, and it's cool because they can connect with their grandparents, and relatives and friends, too. It makes it so much easier to keep in touch."
What's your favorite way to keep in touch with your grandparents? Do you Skype with them?
"I don't really Skype that much, but we text and email and Facebook all the time."
You're always plugged in. How do you find a balance?
"It's hard, but if it's something that you really enjoy, you make it a part of your life. If I see something cool, I'm going Instagram it!"
What new apps and tech things are you into right now?
"I hardly use a computer anymore because I have everything on my phone. I use Facebook, Group.Me, Foursquare, Fancy, MyFitnessPal (to try to stay in shape, though that doesn't always work for me!), Instagram, YouTube, Pose, and GifBoom. I just basically described my home screen on my iPhone."
What's your advice for girls who want to go into tech?
"Read a lot, watch other people that are doing what you want to do. Always ask for advice. I email with a lot of girls that are like how do I do this, how do I do that. Stay up on what's cool and what's interesting."
