Shane Dawson has always been a constant name uttered throughout the Youtube community. One of the first few stars to rise to fame, the 30-year-old has dabbled in a series of genres. Aside from being an influential presence in the film world and being a sketch comedian, Dawson’s most popular achievements are attributed to his “docuseries.” The YouTuber has documented various opinions and conspiracy theories, further delving into his perception of the world.

A recent docuseries was centered around another prominent figure in the Youtube community: Jake Paul. Paul, along with his Team 10 members, has been known for his music and his excessive flaunting of wealth, the subject of his dissent. Paul rose to fame with his brother, Logan Paul, because of Vine, a popular six-second video sharing app. Both brothers made the transition to Youtube when the former media platform announced its end. Since then, the two brothers have been the center of attention for one thing or another.

Shane Dawson, in each of his eight videos, provided a closer insight into the life and happenings of Jake Paul. The series began with the introduction of the term ‘sociopath’ as an adjective to describe the star. The series centers around the question of whether or not Jake Paul fits the characteristics of being a sociopath based on his behavior and attitude. Throughout the series, Dawson conducted interviews with Paul himself as well as his girlfriend, Erika Costell. Dawson also interviewed the ex-members of Team 10, seeking further insight into Paul’s behavior. The interviews provided more information regarding Jake’s upbringing and his experiences. Taken by emotion by these stories, both Dawson and Dawson’s therapist concluded that Jake Paul is not a sociopath at the end of the series.

The eight-part series contributed a lot of backlash in the YouTube community. Some praised Dawson for his careful analysis and open-minded interpretation of the star and his actions while others accused Dawson of sympathizing with someone clearly in the wrong.

However, this series has a deeper intent than functioning as an exposé. Dawson clearly implied in each of his videos that his main intent was to find out what exactly was the fuel for such behavior and whether or not various personality disorders were manifest throughout the YouTube community. When taking into consideration that viewpoint, there might be a sense of truth. The media platform itself has raised many concerns with outsiders taking into consideration the drama used as a ploy to gain subscribers and money. The hysterics and extraneous challenges that are seen as common throughout YouTube could be because of an underlying problem, and Dawson’s documentary is on the tip of exposing it.