Becoming the internet’s boyfriend as a man is the equivalent to a pop star escaping the Khia Asylum. Doesn’t matter the field – actors, singers, or politicians can be considered for the position. Being elected by the world to be the internet’s boyfriend is an esteemed privilege as it is basically universally decided. The entire internet bands together, despite the usual arguing and cyberbullying, to elect an attractive man, typically via edits and memes. While I usually see them come and go with trends or events, internet boyfriends are forever. As a chronically online individual, I have been there for many internet boyfriends, which is why I feel qualified to take you on my journey of my personal favorites and significant internet boyfriends throughout my life.
Before the internet and I barely existed, Justin Bieber was my very first crush, along with the rest of the world. He’s arguably one of the most iconic internet boyfriends because he simply took the hearts of every teenage and little girl on the planet. This category will be called the “early internet boyfriend days.” This is where you find mostly child stars, from boy bands to Disney Channel stars, One Direction, Big Time Rush, 5 Seconds of Summer, The Jonas Brothers, Mindless Behavior, Cameron Boyce, Ross Lynch, Zac Efron, Corbin Bleu, and Trevor Jackson are just a few I could name. These guys had girls decorating their rooms and theming their birthday parties around them. They were reading and writing about them, watching them on television, even meeting them. In this early phase of being a fangirl, choosing an internet boyfriend was simple and fun, especially with how receptive the stars were. From going on tours to hosting meet and greets, this is when the internet boyfriend became a badge to wear with pride.
In order to talk about the beginning of internet boyfriends, we also must acknowledge the past. There are internet boyfriends that existed before the internet. I call this “the resurgence era.” This is where you see slideshows or edits of actors that your parents probably admired – internet boyfriends that were so handsome their looks carried over generations. The classics include Brad Pitt, Idris Elba, George Clooney, Matthew McConaughey, Leonardo DiCaprio, Denzel Washington, Morris Chestnut, Tom Selleck, Heath Ledger, and so many more. Today, some of these men have even starred in movies with current internet boyfriends, showing your mother’s celebrity crush and yours on the same screen. This era, almost like a bridge between two separate eras, proved that the internet boyfriend title supersedes time.
The next phase is where I really became chronically online, where I was watching YouTube with every meal, gushing to my mom about a man in so much detail she thought I knew them personally, and where most of my peers joined in. Here is where I discovered a bunch of actors such as Michael B. Jordan, Keith Powers, Ryan Gosling, Charlie Hunnam, Damson Idris, Logan Lerman, Noah Centineo, Aaron Taylor Johnson, etc. This was the year of expansion, from people I would just find to people that found me. Through movies, experiences, books, fancasts, and edits blossomed the “new” era. Other than actors, there was a rather strong obsession with the Dolan Twins, identical twin YouTube sensations who sold out shows and meet and greets across the world, which brings us to our next era.
There are more occupations an internet boyfriend can have other than actor, singer, or nepo-baby. There are plenty of corners in the vast lifespan of the internet, and one that I wish was talked about more is sports. From hockey to basketball to wrestling, there are internet boyfriends everywhere. Some in the sports genre include Jalen Hurts of the NFL Philadelphia Eagles, Luke Kuechly of the NFL Carolina Panthers, Jude Bellingham of the Real Madrid soccer team, Cody Rhodes of WWE, John Cena of WWE, Roman Reigns of WWE, Jordan Ricki of the NRL Brisbane Broncos, the list could go on forever. They can be harder to find and are considered a more niche subspace of the internet boyfriend world, but they matter nonetheless. Not only are they extremely handsome, but they provide entertaining content to watch, with in-person opportunities as well. Who says you can’t pick your favorite sports team based on who your internet boyfriend plays for?
Finally, in the prime of TikTok edits, we reach the “current” era of internet boyfriends and honestly my favorite era, behind the “early days.” This is where you sky rocket, where being known as the internet boyfriend is not only an ego boost, it’s a promised catapult in your career, especially in the entertainment industry. Even if you were known before, a famous edit could throw you into a level of fame in the real world that you could’ve never imagined. We’ve seen this with Nicolas Alexander Chavez who played Lyle Menendez in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, Jacob Elordi in the infamous Saltburn edit, Timothee Chalamet in the infamous “Playdate” by Melanie Martinex edit, Ross Lynch’s [internet boyfriend] resurgence after he starred in the “One Of Your Girls” by Troye Sivan music video, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist in Challengers (2024), David Corenswet in Superman (2025), and finally the newest member, Paul Anthony Kelly. He stars as JFK Jr. in the new hit Hulu show directed by Ryan Murphy called Love Story. It really can happen to anyone, and just as long as there are decently attractive men who are talented, the internet will make a spectacle out of it. You could even be the internet’s next boyfriend.