In 2016, Japanese newspaper Mainichi News, reported the results of a poll conducted among fourth grade boys at an elementary school in Osaka that showed "YouTuber" to be the third most desirable career after "doctor" and "soccer player". Reasoning stated by the students was rather straightforward, with many saying that YouTubers don't need to study and are highly paid. A similar poll by Sony Life this year surveyed 200 middle school students and 800 high school students (both boys and girls) that revealed "YouTuber" to be third once again, this time after "IT Engineer" and "Video Game Creator".

This past March, FULMA, which develops educational programs for elementary school students, has opened up "YouTuber Academy", Japan's first "school" for aspiring YouTubers. The school offers courses in the basics of video editing, how to communicate confidently in front of a camera, as well as how to command attention. Despite the growing enthusiasm for younger people in Japan to pursue YouTuber as a career, the boom has been met with some hesitation. Some on social media have expressed criticism of a departure from traditional studying as lazy, and a recent study-guide on how to become a successful YouTuber marketed towards Elementary School students was recently described a "book like the gateway to hell".

YouTuber Academy sees things differently, however, saying that the process of studying to be a successful YouTuber will give students a comprehensive learning experience, covering many of the science experiment-themed videos popular among Japanese YouTubers today. It's also being encouraged a something that can trigger confidence and self-presentation skills for shy kids, which may be lacking in a traditional Japanese classroom.

According to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's "Recent Trends of IT Human Resources and Future Estimation Survey Results" in 2015, IT-related careers in Japan are down by 170,000 people. As a counter measure, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology has discussed making programming education compulsory in elementary school in 2020. By introducing basic IT skills and internet literacy under the umbrella of YouTuber and game programming, it's though that the decline of IT talent can be shortened.