I feel old.

I got my first computer in 2002, it was an old Windows Me given too me by an elderly neighbour who's son had bought it for her but she didn't know how to use it.

2002 - 2003 - Age 6-7

The only Internet I had access to was my friends, it was the classic 'I hope Mam doesn't need to use the phone anytime soon' situation.

So at home I stuck to Paint and Solitaire

2004 - Age 8

miniclip.com

When I first got the internet it was still on my old Computer and in the 'computer room', yes it was that big and bulky it needed it's own room! We used NTLworld (I don't think that even exists anymore) and all I did was play games online that my cousin showed me.

funny-games.biz

2005- Age 9
This is the year I realised online multiplay games existed such as Habbo hotel (UK and US). I spent far too much time and money on this website, it was literally running around an imaginary hotel but what made it fun was talking to compete strangers.


2006 - Age 10

The stage that complely changed my life, I found Youtube!I found Youtube when I was looking for music and for the longest time I didn't realise things other than music and interviews existed on the entire website. Then I started finding Youtube singers such as Savvannah Outen, this lead me to a whole subgenre which still interests me today.

I also created my own Youtube channel (now deleted due to embarrassment) with the user name 'rachelwetting', why? Because my normal name was taken and it gave me that as the first suggestion and I just really needed to post that important comment!

2007 - Age 11

I created Facebook (slightly under the age limit) but I swear I only made it to play games! In particular Bowling Buddies, I played it on my Mam's account and in the end got my own account to play it on, the condition being I only add family. So for about a year I only had family on there and promptly beat them at every Facebook game that existed at the time. 

Although my Facebook says my first status was in 2008 I can assure you it was 2007 as I specifically remember this status being about my induction week at Secondary School (Which I went on to hate for 5 years, so I got the annoyance spot on)

Around this time I also started playing bigger online games such as Runescape, I followed around my cousin who was already really highly ranked picking up all the stuff he didn't want and having him make me high level weapons that I couldn't yet make to level up quicker.

I also found the Mean Kitty song and SMPFilms, this defined my life for the next year and was the best ringtone I ever had.

2008 - Age 12

Was a bit of a blur, I didn't really create anything new.

Well except a personal website but after many phone calls back in 2011 it has now been taken down. What a shame....

2009 - Age 13

Created in 2009 my Twitter has been through many name changes over the years but I've met some great friends from all over the world and can 'stalk' some celebrities at the same time.

I also discovered the amazing Team Starkid, the creators of a Very Potter Musical series. Yes they created a Harry Potter Musical and put it on Youtube. I was rather happy.

2010 - Age 14

I remember going back to Habbo Hotel in this very dark time, it was how I 'bonded' with he guys in my class. I was the only girl in my class so playing video games was a great way to make friends with them, plus it gave me a reason to play video games. I also found a website that wasn't blocked on my schools network meaning I could play Balloons Tower Defence whenever I wanted. I became a bit of a Pro at that game. I even found my old account and here are my achievements after I spent a good chunk of my school years logged in doing 'work' (I still got an A in that class, so it didn't hinder anything!).



2011 - Age 15

My Youtube journey continued with the discovery of the UK's No1 Vlogger, Charlie McDonnell (Charlieissocoollike).  I also started finding more people but none of them really caught my attention so I never subscribed, I wish had looking back on it because some of them (Such as Evan Edinger) have quickly became my favourites now so it would have been nice to give their channels a go back then, but I'm subscribed now and that's all that matters.

It was also around this time I created my first Tumblr account - probably not my finest move. I do remember my first URL being 'lifeofaninjanerd' I think the joke was I was nowhere near Ninja standard but went with it anyway.

Today I have 5 blogs, 1 main blog and 4 sub-blogs, as well as around 15 saved domains. It kind of took over my life. Never do it. You get sucked in. It's not pretty. Run

2012 - Age 16

I created a new 'serious' channel, a lot of videos are now private, I have around 40 videos uploaded with a total of 7,000 views, but only 11 of those are public. I was trying to find my niche when it came to video making as I had just found this whole community of Video Bloggers that for years I hadn't known existed. The fact that people blogged via video fascinated me and I really wanted to take part, the problem was I didn't really know what I waned to do.

I found people like Danisnotonfire, AmazingPhil, VlogBrothers, Tyler Oakley and TomSka, and I wanted to be like them; a bit cliche I know but it's what teenage Rachel wanted to do with her life.

I also created a very short stop-motion about a spider for a competition on Vine, but never uploaded it because I never though a site so 'stupid' would ever take off.  Not my wisest decision.

2013 - Age 17

It was around this time that I started using Instagram, not very much but I use it more so now than I did before. However it's not one of those accounts I must update daily or must check or I go slightly insane. I did recently go on a following spree that I slightly regret, so many posts....

2014 - Age 18

Everything I've wrote about already has influenced where I am today, I would never have considered a career in Digital Video if I had never seen those first Youtube videos back in 2006. When I was at college I started making videos about exams and results day because when I panic I research (if you haven't guesses already) so I knew basically everything there was too know about every outcome. Now I have a part time job as a University Video Blogger - not bad right?



I just want to point out that I'm very close to the camera because I hadn't told my flat mates I was making a video so I didn't want them to hear me talking to myself and think I'm going mad. #FirstWorldInternetProblems

Also Shameless plug.