The Kids Are Alright: Interview with Jill Treece
If there's anything that my generation gets mocked for, it's our relationship with social media. We use it too much, we're addicted, it's unhealthy, we can't operate without it, and so on. Yet, many of the major complaints don't recognize the wealth of knowledge and interpersonal relationships that come with an online presence. Let's face it: social media and its subsidiaries are a double edged sword. This topic has plagued me for a while, but when Jill Treece posted a comeback video to her YouTube channel, it felt like an appropriate time to start a conversation.
You may know Jill Treece from running over Boyd Martin that one time . . . or you may be following her recent foray into clicker training her Thoroughbred mare Zoë. Jill and I are about the same age and began our online platforms at around the same time. She started an Instagram account for her old horse to document their adventures in Eventing. From there, her account amassed over 80,000 followers, and her YouTube channel currently sits at just over 70,000 subscribers.
From her start with Beau to her present with Zoë, Jill's audience and influence grew over the course of six years before coming to a screeching halt last fall. A bad break up, an ADHD diagnosis, and declining mental health made it overwhelming to keep up with posting. Her platforms fell to the wayside, and the numbers declined.
Jill is one of many equestrian influencers who appeared as the industry began to leverage social media. For the sake of clarity, an influencer is someone who promotes a product, idea, and/or lifestyle usually through the use of social media. Companies and individuals have the opportunity to build a brand on applications that are completely free. At the time Jill was stepping into this culture, Instagram was an especially popular platform for skilled equestrians to gain traction and recognition regardless of show records and/or client history. Hence, the emergence of the equestrian influencer. The downside is that influencers are at a greater risk for harsh, direct criticism from a larger audience. If a person - e.g. a growing teenager - does not have the maturity level handle this volume of feedback, a breakdown is nearly inevitable.
While being an influencer was not the direct cause for the decline in Jill's health, it did compound on existing issues. By 2018, the stress of maintaining her online appearance began to take a toll. It evolved from being a fun side hobby into a nearly full time commitment that was centered around pleasing people and pandering as opposed to sharing her experiences. Additionally, Jill struggled to articulate the issues she was facing because very few people in her life understood what she was going through. She decided to take a break for a few months. It was difficult to sacrifice the following that she had spent years working to build, but it was worth it for her own well-being.
None of this is to say that being an influencer of any type is inherently bad. Even in Jill's experience, we both agreed that the sheer wealth of knowledge available through people sharing their endeavors is priceless; however, becoming an adult while also trying to figure out your mental health is tumultuous enough. To do so with the additional stress of entertaining a massive online following is inherently harmful.
If there's anything I've learned from speaking with Jill, it's the importance of pursuing things that genuinely make us happy. Jill enjoys educating others on positive reinforcement through her platform and uses posts as a creative outlet. Her comeback also led to a second season of her podcast, the JET Real Podcast, where she speaks more candidly about her horse, her mental health, and just being a twenty-something. Speaking for myself as a Gen Z still trying to figure things out, it's refreshing to hear someone speak openly about the same things I'm going through. It's always nice to feel like we're not alone.
Facebook // Instagram // Website // Podcast
why i left youtube by Jill Treece
You may know Jill Treece from running over Boyd Martin that one time . . . or you may be following her recent foray into clicker training her Thoroughbred mare Zoë. Jill and I are about the same age and began our online platforms at around the same time. She started an Instagram account for her old horse to document their adventures in Eventing. From there, her account amassed over 80,000 followers, and her YouTube channel currently sits at just over 70,000 subscribers.
From her start with Beau to her present with Zoë, Jill's audience and influence grew over the course of six years before coming to a screeching halt last fall. A bad break up, an ADHD diagnosis, and declining mental health made it overwhelming to keep up with posting. Her platforms fell to the wayside, and the numbers declined.
Jill is one of many equestrian influencers who appeared as the industry began to leverage social media. For the sake of clarity, an influencer is someone who promotes a product, idea, and/or lifestyle usually through the use of social media. Companies and individuals have the opportunity to build a brand on applications that are completely free. At the time Jill was stepping into this culture, Instagram was an especially popular platform for skilled equestrians to gain traction and recognition regardless of show records and/or client history. Hence, the emergence of the equestrian influencer. The downside is that influencers are at a greater risk for harsh, direct criticism from a larger audience. If a person - e.g. a growing teenager - does not have the maturity level handle this volume of feedback, a breakdown is nearly inevitable.
While being an influencer was not the direct cause for the decline in Jill's health, it did compound on existing issues. By 2018, the stress of maintaining her online appearance began to take a toll. It evolved from being a fun side hobby into a nearly full time commitment that was centered around pleasing people and pandering as opposed to sharing her experiences. Additionally, Jill struggled to articulate the issues she was facing because very few people in her life understood what she was going through. She decided to take a break for a few months. It was difficult to sacrifice the following that she had spent years working to build, but it was worth it for her own well-being.
None of this is to say that being an influencer of any type is inherently bad. Even in Jill's experience, we both agreed that the sheer wealth of knowledge available through people sharing their endeavors is priceless; however, becoming an adult while also trying to figure out your mental health is tumultuous enough. To do so with the additional stress of entertaining a massive online following is inherently harmful.
If there's anything I've learned from speaking with Jill, it's the importance of pursuing things that genuinely make us happy. Jill enjoys educating others on positive reinforcement through her platform and uses posts as a creative outlet. Her comeback also led to a second season of her podcast, the JET Real Podcast, where she speaks more candidly about her horse, her mental health, and just being a twenty-something. Speaking for myself as a Gen Z still trying to figure things out, it's refreshing to hear someone speak openly about the same things I'm going through. It's always nice to feel like we're not alone.
Facebook // Instagram // Website // Podcast
All photos are used with permission from Jill Treece.
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