Fresh from moderating a thought-provoking panel at VidCon 2025, Jonatan de Boer, Partner at 3Rivers, shared his insights on the current state of the creator economy and the concerning shift he’s observed from social media to what he calls ‘interest media’.
“We’re shifting away from social media as a terminology and shifting to interest media,” says Jonatan. “I’m quite disappointed about that because I love social media because I can see what my friends are doing, I can see what my family is doing. But over the past two to three years, the whole TikTokization of social media has made the algorithms feed us the content instead of us choosing the content ourselves.”
As a partner at 3Rivers, a specialized consultancy serving the media and entertainment industry, Jonatan brings a unique perspective informed by over a decade in the creator economy. “As far as we know, we are actually the only one, or at least one of the few media-dedicated consultancy firms,” he explains. This specialization enables 3Rivers to serve clients spanning broadcast media, TV channels, VOD platforms, and social media companies, providing industry-specific insights that general consultancies often lack.
From MCN Pioneer to Media Consultant
Jonatan’s journey into the creator economy began in 2012 when he discovered American YouTubers who had started Maker Studios, the world’s first multi-channel network (MCN). Inspired by their model, he built the first MCN in the Netherlands.
“I sort of started copying that business model to YouTubers in the Netherlands. So I started building a network, got a CMS from YouTube, and actually started the first MCN in the Netherlands,” Jonatan recalls. The venture quickly grew from an experiment to a sizable business with a team, office, and studio in Amsterdam, producing content for major brands before Jonatan eventually sold it to a key player in the Dutch media industry.
His career since then has included roles as interim Broadcast Director at NEP, interim COO at BumaStemra, General Manager at Bird, and Managing Director at MediaLane. He also served on VidCon’s European advisory board from 2015 to 2020, helping the conference expand internationally with its first European event in Amsterdam.
More Talk Than Action in Media Convergence
Despite attending VidCon for over a decade and witnessing numerous discussions about the convergence of traditional and digital media, Jonatan remains skeptical about how quickly these worlds are truly merging.
“At my first VidCon in 2013, we were preaching the democratization of media. Everyone could be their own media outlet. Individuals are suddenly producers of content with a big reach. And the end of traditional media was near,” he reflects. “Fast forward almost 15 years, not much has changed. We’re still reading stories about MrBeast building out a big business, which is (on paper) not so much different from what Maker Studios was doing back in 2011, 2012. It’s just the same story repeating itself.”
The real change, according to Jonatan, isn’t a wholesale shift to creator-driven media but rather a change in consumption patterns. “The biggest change is happening in front of our eyes—we’re consuming way more content across screens, not just on television channels anymore. A big chunk of our watch time is going to these big VOD platforms and not just to creators on YouTube,” he continues.
Passion to Narcissism: The Creator Economy’s Shift
One of Jonatan’s most pointed observations concerns how creator motivations have changed over the years. “Ten years ago, creating content, you did that because you wanted to create and you wanted to interact with the audience. Not because of the money or the reach, but because of this feeling that was inside of you that it had to go out,” he explains. “Now people are creating content because they found out how the algorithm works, and they just want to make money out of it, or they want to become famous for no reason. So the whole purpose of content creation and the creator economy has shifted from passion to narcissism.”
Despite these criticisms, Jonatan acknowledged positive industry developments, particularly in how brands now value creator partnerships and says, “Influencer marketing and YouTube branded content is just part of the media mix nowadays. Every advertiser has big budgets that they put into social media.”
He recalled a time when YouTubers with videos generating half a million views would receive only $5,000 from advertisers—a fraction of what they would pay for equivalent reach on television or radio, saying, “Now those things are shifting. The whole industry is getting more mature, and the advertising money is starting to flow in.”
‘Famous Before 18’: Giving Young Creators a Voice at VidCon
At this year’s VidCon, Jonatan moderated a panel titled “Famous Before 18” featuring creators who found fame at young ages, including Ava Ryan, Avia Colette, and Like Nastya. The session explored how growing up in the digital spotlight affected these young creators and how they’ve maintained their personal brands.
The panel was particularly timely given recent developments in Jonatan’s home country of the Netherlands, where the government has begun regulating family vlogging. “They are doing it to protect the children. But they never asked the children about how they feel about it. If they want to do it, how they feel about it,” says Jonatan.
During the panel, Jonatan was struck by how some young creators have embraced content creation despite—or because of—their early exposure. He points to panelist Avia Butler as an example: “She is now 20 years old. She was extremely famous because she was part of a family vlogging channel when she was a young child. And now she chose to follow the path of becoming a creator herself.”
A Father’s Perspective on Children in Social Media
As a father to a 5-year-old son and a 10-month-old daughter, Jonatan’s views on children in social media have evolved. “Previously, I was like, ‘It’s no issue at all. And if they’re just having fun and it’s super innocent, let’s just let it happen,'” he admits. “Now I’m skewing more towards, we really should pay attention to the potential health impact, and especially the monetization of kids on social media.”
Jonatan drew a distinction between different types of family content during our conversation. “When it comes to family vlogging, and you’re just filming your daily life and coincidentally your children are part of the daily life, I think it’s still somewhat innocent,” he says. The concerning shift occurs when “the camera turns around and the children become the topic and they have to do something on a weekly basis because the channel is growing and you’re getting some dollars in and suddenly your children have become a business model.”
Finding Connection in an Industry Driven by Algorithms
Did VidCon 2025 rekindle Jonatan’s enthusiasm for the industry as he had hoped? “I was able to find some like-minded people who share my concerns about the shift from social to interest media,” he reflects. “But it’s clear many in the industry are excited about this transition, focusing on hacking the algorithm and finding ways to reach even more people who don’t follow you. I just don’t think that’s the purpose of social media. I think that’s just pure money-driven.”
As he continues his work with 3Rivers, Jonatan brings a valuable mix of historical knowledge and forward-looking analysis to clients navigating the complex media environment. His experience building and selling creator businesses, advising major media companies, and seeing the industry grow firsthand positions him as both an insider and a thoughtful critic.
“At 3Rivers, we help companies develop strategies based on both new ideas and practical experience,” Jonatan concludes. “The creator economy isn’t going away, but it needs to reconnect with what made social media special in the first place—genuine human connection.”
Dragomir is a Serbian freelance blog writer and translator. He is passionate about covering insightful stories and exploring topics such as influencer marketing, the creator economy, technology, business, and cyber fraud.
Fresh from moderating a thought-provoking panel at VidCon 2025, Jonatan de Boer, Partner at 3Rivers, shared his insights on the current state of the creator economy and the concerning shift he’s observed from social media to what he calls ‘interest media’.
“We’re shifting away from social media as a terminology and shifting to interest media,” says Jonatan. “I’m quite disappointed about that because I love social media because I can see what my friends are doing, I can see what my family is doing. But over the past two to three years, the whole TikTokization of social media has made the algorithms feed us the content instead of us choosing the content ourselves.”
As a partner at 3Rivers, a specialized consultancy serving the media and entertainment industry, Jonatan brings a unique perspective informed by over a decade in the creator economy. “As far as we know, we are actually the only one, or at least one of the few media-dedicated consultancy firms,” he explains. This specialization enables 3Rivers to serve clients spanning broadcast media, TV channels, VOD platforms, and social media companies, providing industry-specific insights that general consultancies often lack.
From MCN Pioneer to Media Consultant
Jonatan’s journey into the creator economy began in 2012 when he discovered American YouTubers who had started Maker Studios, the world’s first multi-channel network (MCN). Inspired by their model, he built the first MCN in the Netherlands.
“I sort of started copying that business model to YouTubers in the Netherlands. So I started building a network, got a CMS from YouTube, and actually started the first MCN in the Netherlands,” Jonatan recalls. The venture quickly grew from an experiment to a sizable business with a team, office, and studio in Amsterdam, producing content for major brands before Jonatan eventually sold it to a key player in the Dutch media industry.
His career since then has included roles as interim Broadcast Director at NEP, interim COO at BumaStemra, General Manager at Bird, and Managing Director at MediaLane. He also served on VidCon’s European advisory board from 2015 to 2020, helping the conference expand internationally with its first European event in Amsterdam.
More Talk Than Action in Media Convergence
Despite attending VidCon for over a decade and witnessing numerous discussions about the convergence of traditional and digital media, Jonatan remains skeptical about how quickly these worlds are truly merging.
“At my first VidCon in 2013, we were preaching the democratization of media. Everyone could be their own media outlet. Individuals are suddenly producers of content with a big reach. And the end of traditional media was near,” he reflects. “Fast forward almost 15 years, not much has changed. We’re still reading stories about MrBeast building out a big business, which is (on paper) not so much different from what Maker Studios was doing back in 2011, 2012. It’s just the same story repeating itself.”
The real change, according to Jonatan, isn’t a wholesale shift to creator-driven media but rather a change in consumption patterns. “The biggest change is happening in front of our eyes—we’re consuming way more content across screens, not just on television channels anymore. A big chunk of our watch time is going to these big VOD platforms and not just to creators on YouTube,” he continues.
Passion to Narcissism: The Creator Economy’s Shift
One of Jonatan’s most pointed observations concerns how creator motivations have changed over the years. “Ten years ago, creating content, you did that because you wanted to create and you wanted to interact with the audience. Not because of the money or the reach, but because of this feeling that was inside of you that it had to go out,” he explains. “Now people are creating content because they found out how the algorithm works, and they just want to make money out of it, or they want to become famous for no reason. So the whole purpose of content creation and the creator economy has shifted from passion to narcissism.”
Despite these criticisms, Jonatan acknowledged positive industry developments, particularly in how brands now value creator partnerships and says, “Influencer marketing and YouTube branded content is just part of the media mix nowadays. Every advertiser has big budgets that they put into social media.”
He recalled a time when YouTubers with videos generating half a million views would receive only $5,000 from advertisers—a fraction of what they would pay for equivalent reach on television or radio, saying, “Now those things are shifting. The whole industry is getting more mature, and the advertising money is starting to flow in.”
‘Famous Before 18’: Giving Young Creators a Voice at VidCon
At this year’s VidCon, Jonatan moderated a panel titled “Famous Before 18” featuring creators who found fame at young ages, including Ava Ryan, Avia Colette, and Like Nastya. The session explored how growing up in the digital spotlight affected these young creators and how they’ve maintained their personal brands.
The panel was particularly timely given recent developments in Jonatan’s home country of the Netherlands, where the government has begun regulating family vlogging. “They are doing it to protect the children. But they never asked the children about how they feel about it. If they want to do it, how they feel about it,” says Jonatan.
During the panel, Jonatan was struck by how some young creators have embraced content creation despite—or because of—their early exposure. He points to panelist Avia Butler as an example: “She is now 20 years old. She was extremely famous because she was part of a family vlogging channel when she was a young child. And now she chose to follow the path of becoming a creator herself.”
A Father’s Perspective on Children in Social Media
As a father to a 5-year-old son and a 10-month-old daughter, Jonatan’s views on children in social media have evolved. “Previously, I was like, ‘It’s no issue at all. And if they’re just having fun and it’s super innocent, let’s just let it happen,'” he admits. “Now I’m skewing more towards, we really should pay attention to the potential health impact, and especially the monetization of kids on social media.”
Jonatan drew a distinction between different types of family content during our conversation. “When it comes to family vlogging, and you’re just filming your daily life and coincidentally your children are part of the daily life, I think it’s still somewhat innocent,” he says. The concerning shift occurs when “the camera turns around and the children become the topic and they have to do something on a weekly basis because the channel is growing and you’re getting some dollars in and suddenly your children have become a business model.”
Finding Connection in an Industry Driven by Algorithms
Did VidCon 2025 rekindle Jonatan’s enthusiasm for the industry as he had hoped? “I was able to find some like-minded people who share my concerns about the shift from social to interest media,” he reflects. “But it’s clear many in the industry are excited about this transition, focusing on hacking the algorithm and finding ways to reach even more people who don’t follow you. I just don’t think that’s the purpose of social media. I think that’s just pure money-driven.”
As he continues his work with 3Rivers, Jonatan brings a valuable mix of historical knowledge and forward-looking analysis to clients navigating the complex media environment. His experience building and selling creator businesses, advising major media companies, and seeing the industry grow firsthand positions him as both an insider and a thoughtful critic.
“At 3Rivers, we help companies develop strategies based on both new ideas and practical experience,” Jonatan concludes. “The creator economy isn’t going away, but it needs to reconnect with what made social media special in the first place—genuine human connection.”