From Facebook to Twitter, most people are addicted to some form of social media. As a college student, I will fully admit to this addiction. Who isn’t obsessed with the Internet in one way or another? Social media has made connecting with other people as simple as typing words into a search bar. And a new wave of Internet celebrities is changing the pop culture as we know it. Sharing sites like Vine, Instagram and YouTube have given us some of the most popular celebrities in today’s millennial generation. As a result, these Internet-born celebrities are helping narrow the gap between the famous and the average.
Prior to this surge of Internet stars, the road to fame was long and difficult. In order to get on the map, you had to hire an agent or audition for a gig. Every once in a while, there would be that lucky person who was just born into the right family. Today, all you need is a camera and a charismatic personality to become well-known on the Internet. The rise of Internet celebrities has shown the rest of the world how easy it is to introduce yourself to the public.
Take, for example, Tyler Oakley. To the average viewer, Oakley might not have many marketable talents to profit off of -- he’s not a singer, actor or dancer. Many people might ask how Oakley is even relevant to pop culture. To answer this question, you only have to look at his subscriber count on YouTube. With 8 million followers and counting, Oakley is a YouTube star purely because of who he is.
In order to become a celebrity on the Internet, it’s about the kind of person you are, rather than the talents you possess. Oakley has used YouTube as a platform to make himself known and he has succeeded wildly, even premiering his movie “Snervous” in theaters and via digital release last December.
Oakley isn’t the only Internet celebrity to make the break into mainstream pop culture, either. Fellow YouTuber Lilly Singh premiered her own movie: “A Trip to Unicorn Island” this past month. And beauty guru Bethany Mota appeared on the hit show, “Dancing with the Stars” during their 19th season. YouTube personality Grace Helbig’s second book was recently published, and Vine star Cameron Dallas starred in his own movie produced by an Internet-born entertainment company. Even the most recent season of “Amazing Race” has jumped on the bandwagon, with their ongoing season featuring teams made up of all social media celebrities. From the first Internet celebrity (Justin Bieber, anyone?) to Thomas Sanders of Vine, social media is now the most used platform to make yourself known to the public.
You might be wondering how this new platform is relevant to you, but the answer is clear: You too can become famous by doing the same thing. Because of modern technology, it is easier than ever to become a celebrity. If you have the time and motivation, you can post to YouTube, Twitter, Vine or Instagram, and generate popularity with the click of a button. Social media is changing the dynamic of what it takes to become a celebrity. It is opening up countless opportunities for everyday people to become a household name, and its easy access gives us all an equal chance to speak our minds.
You can be the next Tyler Oakley if you're determined enough. All you have to do is turn the camera on and start talking. Social media is giving people a voice, and a new breed of celebrities have generated from this 21st Century trend. If anything, the rising trend of Internet celebrities shows the rest of the world that you don’t have to be a multi-talented, extraordinary person in order to succeed, you simply have to be yourself.
