As social media plays a large role in everyone’s lives, naturally, careers involving content creation on popular social media sites have begun to boom. This has caused more and more young people to abandon their studies to become full-time influencers after their “big break.” But what causes someone to get picked out of a crowd of millions for their fifteen seconds of fame? Better yet, what allows them to keep their fame when trends are rapidly changing and cancel culture is only getting worse?Â
Today, people are obsessed with being able to “relate” to the influencers they aspire to be, rather than viewing them as a form of unachievable perfection. This is how Alix Earle rapidly gained an audience by making simple “Get Ready With Me” videos in which she spoke completely unfiltered, her viewers appreciating the fact that she didn’t put on a fake persona for the screen. Many people comment on her TikToks, claiming that watching Alix’s videos feels like “being on a FaceTime call with one of their best friends.” Although this sounds like a parasocial relationship, it’s exactly what works when trying to build a fanbase, especially in a world where loneliness rates are at an all time high. Alix is outspoken about her acne, mental health issues, and feeling as if she didn’t “fit in” when she joined a sorority in college. As it seems, Alix is living proof that being fully yourself is all it takes to become a highly paid influencer, and winning the fame lottery is all the work of chance.
In contrast, people don’t like ingesting content from influencers who overwhelmingly push their opinions or unappealing lifestyles on their viewers. Last year, Liv Schmidt, a self-proclaimed “Skinni Coach,” went viral for her eating and exercise habits, mostly because she was able to keep a tiny figure while working a 9-5 desk job. Liv was extremely controversial, because although most of her advice was healthy, such as walking 10k steps per day and avoiding overeating, she came across as aggressive and judgmental. Usually, the meals she shows in her “What I Eat in a Day” videos barely hit the daily recommended calorie intake. Also, she eats out at expensive restaurants way more than most of her viewers can afford, making her lifestyle unachievable for most people with a busy schedule and a tight budget. Compared to other fitness creators, she is only relatable to a small population.
Above all, maintaining a career as an influencer requires immense self-respect and confidence. It’s easy for celebrities like Shane Dawson and Colleen Ballinger to quietly step out of the spotlight when they get cancelled. Although we remember these cancellations like the back of our hand, the truth is that most current celebrities have been harassed for past mistakes as well. It’s all in the way influencers handle the smoke. For example, the “Bye Sister” era in 2019 involving James Charles and Tati Westbrook should have easily taken James down, with Tati completely dragging his name and providing relevant examples about James’ inappropriate behavior. Instead of accepting defeat, James responded with receipts explaining every situation Tati attempted to use against him, and turning lots of people against Tati who previously supported her. Now, there isn’t a huge consensus on James’s behavior, but he’s not receiving hate nearly as much as in 2019 before his response.Â
The path to success on social media is different for everyone, but the recipe of relatability, open-mindedness, and self-confidence has done wonders for the few who have been able to quit their jobs and live lavishly by posting for their audience everyday.