25 hours) in a Californian convention center with 18,000 other people. These have been the best three days of her life.

She’s met Zoe and Joe Sugg, Caspar Lee, Tanya Burr, Shay Butler, and Troye Sivan. These people (who you probably won't have heard of, unless you are under 16 or an adult who subscribes to multiple YouTube vlogger accounts) are her idols, people she believes it was worth waiting six hours at a time to meet—and, of course, take a selfie with. 

What you might have heard of is VidCon, the event Ashley is attending. This annual online video convention in Anaheim sees YouTubers gathering, hosting panels and shows, selling merchandise, and meeting with their fans. Worldwide, there are many other YouTuber events: Playlist Live on the East Coast, Buffer Festival in Canada, ITAtube in Italy, VideoDays in Germany, and Summer in the City in the UK.

YouTubers meeting with their fans is, of course, nothing new. But the scale, price, and drama of such events has all taken a turn in recent years. Humble gatherings between people with a common interest have evolved into expensive, excessive events, with swarms of security forcing screaming fangirls and fanboys into orderly lines so they can meet and spend 30 precious seconds with their floppy-fringed favorites. As the cult of YouTube celebrity grows, fan interactions have been rapidly monetized.