Why Hank Green had to write a novel to get to the truth about viral fame

As creators move to the cultural forefront, the question of how much power they wield — if any — is one Hank Green ponders with care. “I think that [creators have a social] responsibility, but I think that the responsibility can be taken differently by each person,” he says. “And I often cannot stand people who not only don’t take the responsibility of their audience seriously, but actively, almost intentionally, have a negative impact.”

Green has more than a decade of experience as a YouTube creator. He shares a channel with his brother, John, called vlogbrothers, and he co-founded the annual conference VidCon. Last month, he published his debut novel An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, which is about overnight celebrity and viral fame....

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