This is a tricky situation, since I wouldn’t want anyone to rely on external validation for their self-esteem, but here I think it’s OK to lean into the probability that your friends probably aren’t lying to you, and that you might have some internal monologue that’s hurting you.
Can you help me understand what’s interesting about vtubers? Someone I knew was really into it, but watched a vtuber for a few minutes once and absolutely did not understand the appeal.