Social media is a pipeline to fame, a place where 20-somethings can go after they get a degree they will never use. A source of talentless people who know they can profit off of people’s emotions if they post a 60 second video. This wouldn’t be a problem if the same people we see go viral for creating a “dance move” with the famous song of the week didn’t end up on the big screen and in everyday tv shows like they are good at acting.
Before social media, how did people become famous? How did big names like Ben Affleck or Meryl Streep enter the industry, because it certainly wasn’t because of a Tik Tok “sensation.” No, they each worked their hearts out either creating a movie entirely from scratch or starring on Broadway right out of college. According to Medium, before the internet, people were hand picked in the corners of nightclubs to be singers, dancers or actors and were chosen based on pure talent and if they were promising enough.
Nowadays, there is a simple checklist that allows just any random person to have the potential to become Instagram or Tik Tok famous. They can even fake the entire thing, fool all of their viewers into an alternate ideal reality just to get likes and traction. According to Education, there is a list that is pretty promising and very simple in order to become famous: 1. Find Your Unique Voice or Talent, 2. Choose Your Platform Wisely, 3. Create Value or Emotion, 4. Be Consistent and Persistent, 5. Network and Collaborate, 6. Accept Criticism and Stay Authentic and finally 7. Leverage Virality—but Don’t Depend on It. This mostly means faking something that the public is gullible enough to believe, promoting your image on YouTube, Tik Tok or Instagram, posting every day, working with other “influencers” and trying not to flame your haters in the comment section. And boom, you’re famous.
This fame opens up doors that a normal person would never have access to. Influencers are treated as if their talent has fallen from the sky, and most often they become even more well known than the top actors. People like Addison Rae, Alix Earle and Charli D’Amelio became famous based on no talent but are all pursuing careers in movies, broadway shows, music and even Harvard Business Q&As. And as much as I love Earle, she truly has no reason to be famous other than the fact people related to her and she gained a huge following on social media.
And while many may believe this isn’t a bad thing and instead it is where creativity grows, it is important to remember that these people don’t have any underlying talent and they don’t deserve to take the spots of those who have worked their entire lives for the sole purpose of being an actor or singer. Social media influencers are creating a society that doesn’t exist, an idealistic world the public so desperately wants to be a part of, and their following is putting them on the map. These young and good looking people that normally would never get the same opportunities or notoriety are now in the talent industry of the world and are producing anything but.
