This Is The End

Summary

The creator explains that this unscripted video is a personal farewell to the channel’s usual content and a reflection on why they need to step away.

Gratitude and growth

The creator thanks viewers, commenters, Discord staff, and online friends for supporting the channel for nearly three years. Making history videos encouraged them to study periods they previously knew little about, especially the post-Roman and early medieval eras. They also learned to form opinions through reading rather than relying on summaries.

A deeper approach to history

The creator argues that YouTube videos can introduce historical topics but cannot convey their full complexity. Limited runtime often reduces detailed political contexts and developments to a sentence or leaves them out entirely.

They found their most rewarding videos were those grounded in reading several books and spending substantial time researching. That work could take much longer, however, and still attract fewer views.

Why the channel no longer feels worthwhile

The creator says their enthusiasm for making alternate-history videos has faded. They feel the niche has become repetitive, the channel has not meaningfully grown, and sponsorships have dried up. The pressure to produce the next video has turned the process into a stressful cycle of checking analytics and adjusting titles and thumbnails. Negative online comments and rumors have added to the emotional strain.

Concerns about technology and attention

The creator reflects on spending too much of life in front of screens and chasing constant stimulation. They feel this has weakened their attention and crowded out activities they value, such as reading, writing, exercise, prayer, helping their community, and spending time with loved ones.

They also acknowledge the contradiction of making attention-grabbing videos while criticizing addictive online content.

A mistaken endorsement

The creator apologizes for promoting a short-form product, calling it poor quality and saying it cannot replace the depth or experience of reading. They advise viewers not to use it.

What they hope to do instead

The creator wants to return to personal interests, including reading, cooking, woodworking, learning languages, and developing a fantasy series they have worked on for years. The imagined setting draws on classical-era societies and creatures rather than a conventional medieval fantasy world.

They say any future videos should focus on subjects that matter to them and encourage more meaningful thought, rather than simply repeating familiar alternate-history scenarios. They do not rule out posting again, but leave the channel’s future open.

Advice to viewers

The creator encourages people to spend less time passively consuming online content and more time on real-world pursuits. They particularly recommend reading books for their depth and emotional engagement, and suggest investing in personal goals, relationships, and community life.

Speakers and Sources Mentioned

• Speaker: The channel creator, apparently Videntis; no other speaker is heard.
• Community members thanked: AML King, Sith Builder, King of the Danes, Toaster Lord, a name heard uncertainly as “Roer or Pro,” Leonida, “John” (explicitly described as not their real name), William, and Benjamin Obienu. The creator also thanks the channel’s Discord staff and longtime commenters generally.
• Other channels mentioned: Alternate History Hub, Possible History, and a channel name heard uncertainly as “US of Z” or “USD.”
• Books and works mentioned: An unnamed book about Germanicus; three unnamed books on Burgundy; The Wheel of Time; and The Lord of the Rings.
• Other figures referenced: Aristotle and Ted Kaczynski are mentioned in passing. Alexander the Great, Caesar, and Charlemagne are discussed as examples of historical figures the creator studied.