El Paso native turns camera fear into social media support

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA)-- Overcoming fear is never easy, but one El Paso native says stepping outside his comfort zone led to more than he ever expected.

Jacob Pace, content creator and entrepreneur, turned to social media as a way to confront his fear of being camera shy. What started as a personal challenge quickly grew into a source of encouragement. not only for himself, but for others facing similar fears.

“I just remember seeing myself on camera for the first time,” Pace said in one of his early videos. “This is literally like my seventh take. I’m just trying to get over my camera shyness.”

For years, Pace worked behind the scenes as the driving force behind his company, Flighthouse, a digital media brand known for producing viral content. Ironically, despite building a career around social media, Pace stayed behind the camera.

That changed in early December.

“Finally, a few weeks ago, I just ripped the Band-Aid off and started posting videos every day on Instagram,” Pace said. “Once I started making progress, I figured I might as well start taking some challenges in the comments.”

Those challenges pushed him even further outside his comfort zone from singing to DJing in front of others.

But what Pace didn’t expect was the response.

“What was really cool over the past few weeks was seeing how many other people also have similar feelings,” he said. “They feel camera shy, but they also feel like they have a lot they want to say.”

Social media often gets a bad reputation for its negative effects on mental health. However,according to Harvard TH Chan school of public health there can be positive impacts as well, providing benefits by fostering community and connection, especially among people who share similar identities, interests, or challenges.

Pace says opening up about his vulnerability helped others feel comfortable doing the same.

“By being super vulnerable about my camera shyness, it was awesome seeing an influx of messages from people saying they’ve dealt with the same thing,” he said.

Now, Pace hopes his journey encourages others to face their fears even if it means pressing record.

“I hope people see this and realize they’re not alone,” he said. “Sometimes you just have to start.”