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Expat YouTubers are not necessarily lying about Southeast Asia, but their content often reflects a curated 'vacation mode' due to legal restrictions on speech, audience desires for positive narratives, and the inherent differences between visiting and living in a country, necessitating personal experience and preparation for potential expats.
The video addresses the question of whether expat YouTubers mislead viewers about Southeast Asia, explaining that content creators often face limitations on freedom of speech in their host countries. Many countries outside the US have strict laws against discussing politics or engaging in defamation, meaning expats must filter their opinions to maintain their visas and lifestyle. This self-censorship, combined with the fact that those who choose to stay are likely those who tolerate or enjoy certain aspects of life abroad, can lead to a curated, positive portrayal.
Audience desires also play a role, as many viewers seek hopeful narratives about living abroad, which contrasts with the often negative portrayals of other countries in Western media. Expat YouTubers can provide a counterbalance by highlighting positive aspects like family orientation and lower cost of living. However, the content often reflects 'vacation mode' rather than the mundane reality of daily life. Visitors might experience luxurious hotels and daily massages, which are not sustainable for long-term residents on a budget, similar to how a tourist in San Francisco experiences the city differently from a local.
Creating YouTube content is a demanding job involving planning, editing, and promotion, for which creators seek reward through ad revenue and other income streams. They are, in essence, presenting information and experiences, much like salespeople. Therefore, potential expats must approach this content with discernment and recognize that it is not a substitute for personal experience. Visiting the country is essential to understand the realities of daily life, including mundane tasks like grocery shopping or dealing with bureaucracy, which are often omitted from engaging online content. Ultimately, while expat YouTubers provide a valuable service, their experiences are not universally applicable, and individuals must prepare effectively and manage their expectations.
Expat YouTubers aren't necessarily lying, but their content is often curated. Legal restrictions on speech in many Southeast Asian countries mean creators must filter their opinions to maintain their visas and lifestyle. This self-censorship, combined with audience preferences for positive narratives, can lead to a less than complete picture of expat life.
Expat content often leans positive to counter negative Western media portrayals and meet audience desires for hopeful stories about living abroad. Creators also aim to attract and retain viewers, making a positive spin a strategic choice. This can create a 'vacation mode' effect, which differs from the daily grind of long-term residency.
Visiting a country offers a temporary, often idealized experience, akin to a vacation. Living abroad involves daily realities like grocery shopping, bureaucracy, and budgeting, which are rarely highlighted in vlogs. This distinction is crucial for potential expats to understand before making a move.
Expat YouTubers, like other content creators, earn income through ad revenue, sponsorships, and affiliate marketing. Their work involves significant effort in planning, filming, and editing, making them akin to salespeople presenting a product. Viewers should recognize this business aspect when consuming their content.
Southeast Asia can be a good place for expats, offering aspects like a family orientation and potentially lower cost of living. However, the reality of expat life is complex and varies greatly by individual experience and location. Personal visits are essential to gauge if the region aligns with one's expectations and needs.
Approach expat YouTuber content with discernment; it's a valuable resource but not the complete truth. Understand the motivations behind content creation, including legal constraints and audience expectations. Personal research and visiting the location are vital steps for anyone considering moving abroad.
Expat YouTubers often filter their content due to strict laws in their host countries regarding freedom of speech. Discussing politics or engaging in defamation can jeopardize their visas and ability to live abroad. This self-censorship leads to a more curated and positive portrayal of life in Southeast Asia.
Expat YouTube content often reflects a 'vacation mode' rather than the mundane reality of daily life. While viewers may seek hopeful narratives, the experiences shown, like luxury hotels or frequent massages, are not always sustainable for long-term residents on a budget. Visiting a country yourself is essential to understand the daily realities.
Yes, expat YouTubers can be seen as salespeople because they are presenting information and experiences to earn rewards through ad revenue and other income streams. Like any salesperson, their content is designed to attract an audience, and potential expats should approach it with discernment.
Visiting a country before moving there is crucial for potential expats to understand the realities of daily life. Social media content, while entertaining, often omits mundane tasks like grocery shopping or dealing with bureaucracy. Personal experience is the best way to gauge if a country is the right fit for you.
Expat YouTubers may not intentionally lie, but their content is often a curated positive portrayal. This is due to legal restrictions on speech, audience desire for hopeful narratives, and the fact that those who stay abroad are generally those who tolerate or enjoy certain aspects of life there. It's important to recognize that their experiences are not universally applicable.
There are concerns that in Thailand, you can be sued for leaving a bad online review. Additionally, strict laws exist regarding discussions of the royal court, with severe consequences for any mention. This highlights the legal restrictions that can influence content creators.
0:03 Hey YouTube, Alex here and in today's video I want to answer the question, are expat YouTubers lying about Southeast Asia or Latin America, parts of Europe? And part of what prompted this is that some people have pointed out, oh, you know, you look quite a bit older than you did when you left and looks like you gained some weight and these other critiques that are fair. I mean, I was over there for a couple of years. When I got back, really, most of the weight I gained was actually after I got back to the US. So, I've been back for about almost 4 months now. And when I was over there, I actually was walking a lot and exercising a lot.
0:52 And so, I kind of wanted to just handle some of these critiques or explain them or answer to them and really tackle that question. Are people being misled to go to Southeast Asia by expat media? So, let's go ahead and get into the reasons my responses to this type of question and you'll find out if I think people are being misled or they're not being misled.
1:25 So, for the first reason, no freedom of speech. So, most countries outside the United States do not have freedom of speech. Even several other western countries that people think of as very free countries don't necessarily have freedom of speech. So when you think about an expat YouTuber and let's just say they're in Southeast Asia, these countries do not ensure freedom of speech. So you're not guaranteed to be able to just, oh, I'm going to talk about whatever I want and it doesn't matter. No, they have defamation laws. They have laws against speaking about politics. In a number of these countries, the visa itself that you're issued upon entering, it explicitly states you're not allowed to talk about politics. It's kind of a reminder there. When you go to immigration, they have signs up. Hey, if you get an attitude, if you start acting up, if you start being disrespectful, we can just revoke your visa.
2:24 So this idea that an expat YouTuber can just openly talk about whatever they want right off the bat, that's not possible if they want to continue living in that country. And for most of them, the benefits outweigh the negatives or the downsides, or else they wouldn't be there. And for some, it's economic necessity. If you can't afford to live in your home country, you can't afford a decent standard of living, you'd be going back to live in say, a vehicle and working a part-time job and parking the vehicle behind that business. The alternative is you get to live in a tropical country and you have your own place and you don't have to work. All you have to do is keep your mouth shut, filter what you say. I think most of us are going to pick the easier of those two options with the idea in mind, okay, well, I'll just not speak about certain topics publicly and I'll be able to continue living my life here.
3:15 So, this idea they could come out and have charged opinions or be confrontational, there's very real consequences of that. Does that mean that they're lying? I don't really think so in a sense because you have to, one, you have to research the laws of a country you want to go to. Two, you have to go, this is something I'm going to tackle later in this video, you have to go and visit yourself. It's you can't rely on social media to be completely objectively true because they may be very happy there. Some of the things that may be an issue for you may not bother them at all. Right? Some people aren't bothered by noise at all. For me, I don't really like noise pollution. Some people, they might really like Asian cuisine. Other people, oh man, I couldn't find proper Western food.
4:08 So some of the things that the expat YouTuber, it's a self-selection bias. A guy who can go over there and live five, 10, 15 years, he's learned to tolerate some of the things that he or she doesn't like and is able to move past those and enjoy his life or her life where you're not seeing all the people who never started the channel, who tried it for a month, maybe even signed a year lease and decided like a couple weeks in, this isn't for me. An example comes to mind of a guy who planned to move to the Philippines, young guy, younger than myself, and then within hours he was totally terrified. It wasn't anything that was wrong with the area or anything like that. He just didn't understand how different it was going to be from his home country and couldn't adapt.
4:59 For me, this wasn't an issue. I knew from the first visit to Southeast Asia, I want to live here at some point. I want to experience long-term life here. It's very different than what you might see in Western media. But when it comes to the expat YouTubers, you have to realize like they like it. It was working out for them and it behooves them to not talk about certain topics that may impact their ability to stay. Right? We're very fortunate in the United States and unfortunate at times that we have freedom of speech. But you can't make the presumption just because we have that here that we have that elsewhere.
5:43 And number two would be audience desires. So some audiences out there, they want to hear negative stuff about other countries. You see this with Western media that beats up on other countries. Every time certain countries are portrayed in Western media, it's always negative. You see them portrayed as, oh, they're having these natural disasters and the poverty and all these bad things are happening. Shouldn't, aren't you thankful you live in the west? It's rarely positives. And so I think expat YouTubers, some of what they cover is positive about these other countries. And it provides a sort of counterweight to western media where, oh, you know, discussing the family-oriented nature of some of these countries or discussing how the cost of living is modest.
6:35 I mean, I remember when I told an American dental assistant one time I had gone to Southeast Asia for treatment, she got mad. She felt like you're paying somebody else, you're encroaching on our turf or our territory. Beyond just the scope of like, hey, the care might not be good. No, she was legitimately upset that Americans would attempt to save money, attempt to moderate their budget, go and seek treatment overseas. And so that's what these expat YouTubers do. They're catering to people that want hope as opposed to people that just want to see the negative. The audience that wants hope is much larger than the audience that's just totally negative and all they want to know about is how it's not going to work out. And oh, look at these fools for trying to better their lives and trying to improve and taking a chance.
7:26 I feel like some of these negative people that want the expat YouTubers to only be negative are people who want an excuse to not try. Don't even try. Don't even go over to the Philippines. Don't even go over to Thailand. It's not going to make a difference. Kind of like Eeyore, it's not going to work, it's going to be bad, it's all going to go wrong. Well, I don't like that. I look at people needing to be high agency in all areas of their life and if they suspect it's going to work out for them based on watching videos and research, then they should take a trip. It's unlikely for the majority of people that visit like Thailand is getting well over 30 million visitors a year. Most of those 30 million people are having a good time. Are there some who don't? Well, yeah, just by sheer numbers, 30 million, you're going to have some people that have a negative experience.
8:20 And if you only talk to that small group of people, or maybe a tourism board from a competitor country, then yeah, you'll hear some negatives. But I think that if you talk to most people, most people seem to have a good experience. I had a friend I went to high school with and he visited Thailand last fall. He loved it. This is the first time, his first time out of the country. He picked Thailand based on his research and watching like my videos and talking to other people he knows in our home city about it and he had a great time. Now, he's not a YouTuber. He's not a social media influencer. He's not going to put that out there. So, you have to think like a lot of people are seeking novelty in their lives. They're seeking unique experiences and the expat YouTubers provide some insight into this. I don't think it's the same as actually taking a trip. I don't think it's actually the same as living there, but you get some sort of taste of what it's like to have that kind of experience.
9:23 And people like these feel-good stories. People also like some of the not so much drama but some of the tougher stories like Mike and Paul have both done videos about difficult circumstances or difficult situations. And those are more like accurate representations of what can go wrong. It's not you're going to go to Southeast Asia and a meteor is going to come down and obliterate everything. It's more like, hey, if you're not careful with women, if you, for the single male expats out there, you could lose all your money. Like, that's a reality. That could happen in your home country too. Other guys, like, hey, if you buy too many adult beverages, you could end up in a very dangerous situation. Same in your home country. I think that people have this self sort of they believe what they already believe and they look to find content that reinforces their beliefs rather than content that challenges their beliefs.
10:27 The first time I heard about going to Southeast Asia, I thought that's crazy. America is the best country in the world. Why would you go anywhere else? It doesn't make any sense to live anywhere else and you shouldn't be going anywhere else. Uh, number three, this ties into what I said before. You have to visit. You have to visit.
10:43 You have to visit. You're not going to get a sense of what it's like to be in Southeast Asia from watching YouTube. I find you're going to get one of two things: vacation mode or the full sense. You're going to watch people having a very expensive vacation and think that's what it's like to live there. Living anywhere is much more mundane.
11:02 I think back to my friend who visited Thailand. I had actually left Thailand a month prior, but I already knew with him coming for a month, I wasn't going to be able to keep up with him budget-wise. He's working a full-time job in the US and looking to have all the luxurious or nice experiences in Thailand. I'm happy for him; things like staying in nice hotels, eating nice Thai food, getting massages, and visiting the beach are incredible. These are world-class experiences, but I'm living there day-to-day.
11:38 I can't afford to stay in a $100 a night hotel or go on a beach trip every single day. It's kind of like your hometown. If your hometown's a decent-sized US city, like San Francisco, a visitor might do an Alcatraz tour, go to a Giants or 49ers game, or do a food tour in a neighborhood. Someone living there, unless they're a wealthy tech executive, is probably not doing all those things in a weekend.
12:21 Their weekend might be, "I worked all week, I'm going to go to the park. Maybe I'll do one of those activities, but I'm not doing all of them." It's similar in Southeast Asia. If you visit, go do some of the normal people stuff, like going to the grocery store. A tourist in full-on tourism mode for a couple of weeks doesn't want to take time out of their vacation to go cook.
12:49 They're not going to need to go to the pharmacy and get prescription medication every month, or establish online banking. They're probably not going to need to do a lot of those boring day-to-day activities. You're not going to get a sense of those things if all you're watching is content curated for engagement and to build an audience to make money.
13:20 It's like watching a documentary or a movie; it's not really reflective of reality. It's made for a purpose, and that's not wrong. But you have to have some amount of grace and extend some amount of grace to YouTubers. Doing this sort of work is difficult to get going and be successful.
13:48 It's not so difficult to just sit in front of a camera, but if you actually want to be consistent, consistently putting out content, planning content, lining up guests if you're doing interviews, editing, making thumbnails—all that stuff takes a lot of effort. People want to be rewarded for that effort, and they also want to help their audience.
14:15 A good chunk of the audience has no interest in living abroad; they don't see it as necessary and think it's too risky. They have X, Y, and Z reasons as to why they never do that. So, if you want to figure out if they're on your wavelength, you've got to visit.
14:31 Think of a lot of expat YouTubers as salespeople. Their goal is to have ad revenue and other forms of income as a reward for their work. They're putting in a lot of time, getting up early, scheduling, and they have expenses. Camera gear isn't free, and they may pay editors.
14:57 It's not just that they're getting rich and doing nothing. Many successful YouTubers have editors, staff, secretaries, or assistants. They have to purchase equipment every year and may need to take someone out to lunch to thank them for their time. They may need to maintain a vehicle to go to filming locations.
15:30 There are a lot of costs that come up with YouTube that are not readily apparent to audiences. Think of them as salespeople. Like when I need to purchase a car, I'll likely engage with marketing material or a sales function. I may not want to, but that's just what it is if I want to see content on Southeast Asia without going over there.
15:59 If I've never been over there and don't know anything about it, I've got to engage with media. That's my best shot, way cheaper than buying a thousand-plus dollar plane ticket, booking flights, and taking time off work. That's the kind of tradeoff you have to accept: you want this information or value, and you're going to have to give some time and use your own discernment.
16:25 It really all comes back to you've got to visit. I think that's what people are trying to circumvent—they want to figure out if they can live there or not without visiting. You really ought to visit and maybe come for a couple of weeks to see what it's about.
16:41 There are sure to be plenty of people out there you'll never hear about because they're not content creators. They come out for a couple of weeks, try a few different cities, and decide it's too hot, the language barrier is worse than they thought, or they miss driving their personal vehicle. Whatever the reasons, they find it problematic.
17:03 But there are plenty of good people that find this is nice for vacation, like vacationing here every year. But for them to move here permanently is just not for them. You have to have that boundary: just because a YouTuber loves it and it worked out for them doesn't mean it's the right fit for you or that you're going to enjoy it.
17:35 They're not necessarily telling you that you should move here, too. A number of these guys, like Mike and Paul, get credit because they don't solely make every video about needing to move here. They do plenty of content where they discuss where things went wrong for people.
17:57 If things went wrong for a certain individual, they have to take responsibility for that. Number five: unrelated issues. I call it the island of misfit toys. As far as expats, especially in more economical countries, it's more like the island of misfit toys or the scratch and dent aisle.
18:20 Most of the people who would consider moving to Southeast Asia or a lower-income Latin American country are not people who have had perfect lives. They've been through a divorce, bankruptcy, or issues with their families. Those issues are going to be present whether they're in Southeast Asia or the United States.
18:48 I lost my parents at a young age; that's going to be true whether I'm in the United States or Southeast Asia. That's a personal issue that follows me wherever I go and will cause me stress regardless of where I am. I probably age faster than somebody with a normal family background; that's just part of it.
19:09 Unrelated issues, like being divorced, are deeply stressful and difficult events whether you live in the US or Southeast Asia, not just financially but also emotionally and spiritually. A lot of people who become expats are not the ones whose lives are going perfectly in the US. They don't have the paid-off house, the dream car, or the dream partner.
19:45 Typically, things didn't turn out perfectly for them in life, and they're going abroad because it's a risk they're willing to take to try to have some enjoyment in their life. I've seen expats who have been through a lot really enjoy and embrace their life overseas, and it worked out well.
20:01 Other guys find their problems follow them, and they're not able to overcome them even halfway around the world. You see this in expat hotspots with guys melting down, guys with anger issues, emotional problems, or personality disorders. They're going to act a fool wherever they are.
20:23 Some of these guys may be in a position in the states where, because they're not as well-off compared to the average local person, they have to temper their behavior. If they have a job, they can't just sit there and act a fool in front of their boss. But in Southeast Asia, they make five or six times what the average local person makes, and they feel more entitled to act like a hotshot.
20:49 Money doesn't really change people as much as it makes them more of who they are. So if...
20:55 Them more of who they are. So if somebody's a jerk in their home country and they go abroad, they're a bigger jerk. If somebody struggles with too many adult beverages in their home country, well, chances are if they move to a cheaper country, they can afford more of that.
21:09 And so, when it comes to me, I have challenges in my home country that are going to be there regardless of what I do. I have to accept that, right? I have to accept that my folks are gone. I have to accept that I have to move across the country for work opportunities. I'm no longer in my hometown. These are just part of the reality of life.
21:31 And also, I was there for a couple years. Like, you're going to age somewhat in a couple of years, especially if you're transitioning from your 20s to your 30s, your 30s to your 40s. Also, I got a lot of sun. I use sunscreen, but getting that much sun will make you look older. I did gain weight coming back because it's stressful to transition back to life in the US.
21:54 That's just anytime you're gone for a couple of years, you're having to remember, oh yeah, okay, now I've got to drive. Okay, now I've got to deal with the bank a lot more often because I'm spending more money. Now I've got to find a place to live based on a job. So I've got to find a job. Then I've got to find a place to live based on that job. Then I've got to move in.
22:17 Then I've got to get used to a new housing situation. Like all the challenges of living in Southeast Asia combined with high cost of living and a faster-paced life and more expectations. I mean, living in the US, there's a lot of expectations placed on us to pay taxes, to pay bills, to do a lot of things on our own.
22:37 In Southeast Asia, I can hire a cleaner for very little money, where here I'm cleaning. Like, I went and vacuumed this morning. There's a lot of responsibilities that fall squarely on my shoulders. And another thing would be cooking. Southeast Asia, it's very cheap to cook. Coming back, I'm having to, okay, now I've got to cook a good chunk of my meals because it's expensive to go to a restaurant here, unlike in Thailand, for example, where it's pretty economical to go to a restaurant.
23:04 So some of that stress is just the normal stress of life. Some of that is it doesn't match the ideal. I didn't, I was a little bit surprised by shifting from, okay, prior to this two-year stint, then it was vacation mode. Now, I know what it's really like.
23:22 Okay, I know what it's like to accidentally get food poisoning, unfortunately. I know what it's like to stub my toe or scrape my knee, have to go to the hospital just to get it cleaned up, make sure it doesn't get out of hand. I know what it's like to have too much time on my hands and be bored in the US.
23:45 Like, yeah, we get bored sometimes, but we got enough work cut out for us that, like, hey, my life is fast-paced enough. I don't know. It just there's a lot to talk about, but I don't feel like I ruined my life going over there. I was in a transition point out of the tech industry. I needed to find a new opportunity.
24:05 And being over there freed up time for me to unwind, to decompress, to try to plan my next steps, to find new opportunity. The cost of living is so low. I actually had the time to think about what I wanted to do next. Where here in the US, things move quick. You don't really have time to think as much when you're in go-go mode as you do in Southeast Asia.
24:26 So yeah, do I regret it? Not at all. Did I age? Yes. So what? But I'm glad I had the experience. I always wanted to do that. Is my life ruined here? No. I came back with enough savings to land on my feet. I actually just signed a job offer today. So, I'll be going to work in about a week, starting my new job. I've got a place to live within budget based on my income. My life is fine.
24:50 It's as long as you prepare effectively to go to Southeast Asia, it can be a very rewarding experience. But a lot of people, they don't prepare effectively. They want shortcuts. That's a big thing is a lot of expats want shortcuts or would-be expats want shortcuts. People in general want shortcuts. And I'm no longer one of those people.
25:09 So, thanks so much for watching. Comment down below. Do you agree with what I've said here? Do you disagree? Does it not reflect your experience? Do you feel misled by some expat YouTubers? I personally think they provide a valuable service. If you don't like the service, you don't have to watch, but you get some value.
25:26 Wonderful. Give us a thumbs up. It helps with the channel promoting this video in the algorithm. And finally, subscribe to the channel down below if you want to see more content like this. And we'll see you soon. Bye-bye.
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