Does having influence (role model, big platform) bring special responsibility?
Since 2015 Hank has said a big platform brings responsibility to do good; in 2026 he said he should be careful because all he does reflects on Complexly. John said in 2007 that people must mind how their behaviour shapes others, and in 2020 that he wasn't doing nearly enough with his platform.
Axis: yes, heavy duty to act carefully ... no, people make their own choices
Positions by date: 29 records in 29 videos. The position was refined (2016), never reversed, in these records.
John
| date | how | position | video |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-04-10 | first on record | John considers himself a role model in some ways and says people must be aware how their behaviour shapes others, but calls a simplistic notion of role modelling stupid. → refers to April 9th: Is it OK to Party? | Brotherhood 2.0: April 10th: Role Models 00:00:33 |
| 2020-01-28 | restate | John says he wasn't doing nearly enough with the money, power and platform he lucked into, still isn't, but is trying to do more with his money, time and attention. | Looking Away (Again) 00:03:19 |
| 2026-02-15 | restate | John thanks Hank for genuinely trying to use his ability to understand and manipulate the algorithm and human attention for good, unlike some people they know. | Project for Awesome 2026 part 5! 03:49:25 |
| 2026-08-18 | restate | John says the fault ultimately lies with him for making a video that went viral precisely because it dunked on someone so eminently dunkable. | My Nemeses 00:03:56 |
Hank
| date | how | position | video |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-04-09 | first on record | Hank is unsure how much to share in the videos given the talk of the brothers as role models, but says they have to communicate, hangover included. | April 9th: Is it OK to Party? 00:01:05 |
| 2015-10-30 | restate | Hank says growing the platform cannot be the only goal: doing things bad for people and culture is not worth a bigger audience; use the platform to do good. | Feeling Thankful in Portland 00:02:19 |
| 2016-07-22 | refine | Hank says land doesn't keep a city's community healthy, government and citizens do; likewise internet communities' health is the job of their owners, workers, leaders and citizens. | Ending the Age of Outrage (at least in ourselves, if not in the world) 00:01:50 |
| 2017-02-03 | restate | Hank says he is here to be silly and thoughtful, and to use his platform to fight for the things he believes in, not every day but some days. | Are We Making Things Worse? 00:01:35 |
| 2017-02-24 | restate | As Hank has gained more power (what social media calls influence), he has grown much more wary of, even sort of afraid of, that Machiavellian perspective. | Doing Bad Things To Make Good Things Happen 00:01:10 |
| 2017-03-31 | restate | Hank feels these projects should exist and he can help them exist as others may not, because he has tools others lack. | No Cut Confessional: Priorities 00:01:33 |
| 2018-01-26 | restate | Another is how intense, overwhelming and crippling the responsibility that comes with power can be. | I Wrote a Book. I WROTE A BOOK. How did I do that? 00:02:45 |
| 2018-08-10 | restate | Hank says that while we should ask everyone to be thoughtful and kind, we must also recognize that the powerful have power and should be careful and thoughtful with it. | My Giant Robot Suit 00:02:13 |
| 2019-03-08 | restate | Hank says that if you look for big, important communities that are misunderstood and covered negatively, he has bigger concerns than YouTubers, who are a really powerful cultural force that hides from its power in victimhood narratives. | Does "The Press" Hate YouTube? 00:02:09 |
| 2019-03-15 | restate | Hank thinks they are good at explainers and misses them, but if they do them again they must be very careful about what they do and how they present it. | Why We Stopped Making Explainers: EXPLAINED 00:03:14 |
| 2020-06-05 | restate | Hank says privilege really is power, and using it makes him happier and the world better. | So Much to Do 00:19:11 |
| 2020-10-06 | restate | Hank says pit rules are a microcosm of how culture works: at small shows the lead singer is in charge, and whether to stop violence in the pit is their responsibility as a leader. | Something Important I've Never Talked About 00:01:10 |
| 2020-10-16 | restate | Having been through it a lot already, Hank wants to help others going through it understand the responsibility, value, perils and joys of being part of it. | Still Riding a Big Wave that I Do not and Cannot Know 00:02:23 |
| 2021-01-15 | restate | The description says social media is just media now: we are all influencers, with a responsibility to use our creation and attention in ways that aren't destructive. | Influencers and Insurrectionists video description |
| 2021-10-07 | restate | Hank agrees only in a limited way that Facebook is responsible for content it hosts (hate speech, illegal content), but believes much more that it should be held responsible for what it promotes. | We're Thinking About Facebook Wrong 00:17:33 |
| 2022-05-06 | restate | Hank says some weight is good: he wants responsibility, people relying on him and a standard to meet, and to do the best with what they have. | Why I Didn't Quit YouTube (yet) 00:01:56 |
| 2022-12-23 | restate | Hank concludes he must use internet platforms to engage with problems rather than create them, to do work rather than deepen conflict, and to err toward quiet when unsure. | You Cannot Trust Yourself (Hank's End of the Year Worries) 00:02:59 |
| 2023-01-27 | restate | Hank says he feels a strong obligation, rarely said aloud, to do good and interesting things with the tools he has. | An Announcement 3 Years in the Making 00:00:03 |
| 2023-11-03 | restate | Hank says the brothers are uncomfortable being the deciding voice in disagreements: he does not trust himself with that power, and those who disagree would feel alienated. | We Need to talk about Sarapocial Relationships 00:06:07 |
| 2024-09-20 | restate | Hank says he brings his credibility and audience to platforms, a scary responsibility, because he does not know whom he is giving power to when he creates there. | Do I Regret TikTok? 00:04:23 |
| 2024-11-03 | restate | Hank asks how hard he can lean on his credibility and relationship with the audience to grow Good Store without it feeling bad to people who can't spend money. | Hank's very messy post-cancer year of mistakes, meaning… 00:09:52 |
| 2024-11-22 | restate | Hank, who has a big platform and is often terrified of saying something wrong or harmful, finds it hard to understand Luther, who could not stop talking despite the deaths. | Populism, Media Revolutions, and Our Terrible Moment 00:12:47 |
| 2025-09-26 | restate | Hank says John and Katherine are great at advising him, but he feels he has a lot of power, and with that power comes great responsibility. | I've Not Been Doing Well 00:01:29 |
| 2026-02-20 | restate | Hank says the easiest thing to do with views or money is get more of them, but their whole point is to be turned toward something valuable. | What We Actually Did. 00:01:27 |
| 2026-08-07 | restate | Hank says that whatever he does, in any context, reflects on Complexly, so he should be more careful. | Just Trying to Figure Out My Job 00:02:52 |