The infamous campus celebrity, the person who turns heads on the campus walkway and trends constantly on Yik Yak, has long been a part of college life. In the past, the campus celebrity could be considered an urban legend, an elusive figure whose personality is constructed from bits and pieces of late night gossip, their actions defined by a simple “he said, she said.” However, the activities of campus celebrities have become increasingly less mysterious, as many choose to document their lives on social media. But does the increased accessibility to campus celebrities negatively impact the college experience?
The Rise of College Influencers
College influencers, whether you like it or not, have taken college campuses by storm, becoming their very own overexposed version of a campus celebrity. The University of Miami has taken the lead in this new trend of college influencers, which began with Alix Earle’s GRWM TikToks in 2022. While Alix Earle may have graduated, the culture of TikTok campus celebrities is alive and well. Of the many popular TikTok influencers of this year’s freshman class, Nikki Pindor has shown up the most on my for you page. Her GRWM videos document the realities of the first year college experience. Unlike the many curated, college day in the life videos, Pindor shows up as she is: in smudgy eyeliner as she struggles to make her 8 am on time after a night of going out.
The Downsides to Oversharing Online
While many students have grown a soft spot for relatable influencers such as Pindor, being a campus celebrity to a platform of 300,000+ people comes with some unique safety risks. Pindor herself jokes about disguising herself to avoid getting “sniped” on Yik Yak, but in all seriousness these unfiltered posts can create threats to a college influencer’s public image, as well as to their overall personal safety. Pindor may be considered relatable, but this comes at the cost of future aspirations, whether that be post-grad employment or med school. What may feel quirky or relatable now, could quickly be seen as unprofessional in the years to come.
As the old adage goes, your digital footprint lives forever, so could the unhinged campus celebrity TikToks be a potential deterrent in today’s job market? Moreover, if influencers like Pindor make the college that they attend their brand, does that mean that they are responsible for maintaining a positive public image for their school? Beyond the harmful future implications of oversharing online as a campus celebrity, the increased access to information about these influencers’ day to day lives creates more immediate risks in their content. If a stranger has access to the workout classes they attend, the dorms they live in, or the clubs they go out to, do these popular college influencers face potential harm at the hands of unknown viewers?
Is Being Exploited Part of the Job?
Many social media users will claim that, like mainstream celebrities, these college influencers should be forced to handle the burden of potential safety issues because they actively choose to overshare. Some may say that by actively choosing to post intimate life details, they are inviting trouble and they should be forced to deal with the consequences of their own actions. While I would agree that many of these college influencers have a certain level of privilege that allows them to overshare out of boredom, rather than necessity, not all campus celebrities post out of their own accord.
Multiple campus celebrities, including UCSB’s very own “Crazy Chris”, didn’t gain popularity through posting their own videos, but rather through being recorded by others while going about their daily lives. This I would argue is more harmful than anything a college influencer could ever post, as it takes advantage of an individual’s vulnerability during a fragile mental state. While viral campus celebrities that are influencers may have more autonomy over what is posted, ultimately it is the campus celebrities who do not curate their own online presence that are exploited the most, as they have far less control over their public image.
Does The Birth of Campus Celebrities Through Social Media Spoil the College Experience?
Whether you are a college influencer creating a GRWM for your 8 am or a person who has unknowingly become a viral school-wide phenomenon, other people’s perceptions are at the core of the modern campus celebrity. Living in a high surveillance environment can leave both intentional and unintentional campus celebrities walking on eggshells, afraid to do anything that may warrant potential online attention.
In my opinion, the newfound public awareness of campus celebrities causes us to lose one of the core values of the college experience: freedom. Being free to make memories in a new environment without the fear of how your actions align with your online presence or whether you could accidentally go viral in an embarrassing moment. By allowing social media to dictate our actions throughout college, a time meant for self exploration, we deprive ourselves of so many opportunities for personal growth.
So if you are also a current college student, take this as your sign to pause the record button, have fun, and let the campus celebrities stay mysterious.