The Covid pandemic that plagued our world in 2020 and beyond has had an immense impact on social media, especially those who rose to stardom during those times. These people who rose to stardom have been coined “Covid Influencers.” Through social media, the influencer market skyrocketed because influencers were able to brighten up the gloomy days during the long days of quarantining. These influencers weren’t just great at creating trendy content but also had business knowledge and skills that enabled them to grow their name and brand themselves through the use of social media.
The first Covid influencer is Charli D’Amelio. Her rise to stardom started at the age of 15 when she started to post dancing videos on TikTok. She became famous so fast and drew millions of followers that many tried to follow in her footsteps in content creation. However, few have been able to replicate her success. D’Amelio is the second-most followed creator on TikTok and has had several collaborations with various brands. Some of them include Valentino, Prada, Burberry, Puma, Morphe and Dunkin’ Donuts. The D’Amelio family, which includes Charli and her sister, Dixie, and their parents, launched their brand by combining the dad’s business experience and their daughter’s popularity into a reality TV show. After being in the spotlight for several years, Charli is seeking a calmer life as she enters her 20s. With such a sudden rise to fame, the D'Amelio family is struggling to maintain their name and get more business ventures and sponsors. As for Charli, she is not getting as many views on TikTok, even with millions of followers and over a billion likes. Her videos are not surfacing on “For You Pages” (FYPs) as much, which is very interesting considering how many followers she has on her media accounts.
Canadian born and raised, Kris Collins was a hairdresser when the pandemic hit and she lost her job. However, she soon found out that posting content on TikTok made her laugh and she started growing an audience. Within four months, she hit 1 million followers on her TikTok. After hitting 4 million followers, she started posting content on YouTube to get a more diverse audience and to give her fans more long-form content. Now, with millions of followers on her TikTok, YouTube and Instagram, Collins has been able to make some brand deals like Vessi, Amazon Prime, Pantene, and Public. Kris has a uniquely intentional TikTok strategy that allows her to post original and genuine content. She also crowdsources through her comments to find what her followers do and don’t like. Now, with 50 million followers on TikTok, she continues to create content and post on all her social media accounts. It should be noted that she is not getting as many views on her videos as before. However, if you take a closer look at her recent videos she has been using her platforms and influence to talk about injustices.
Originally from Senegal, Khaby Lame rose to stardom through his humorous TikTok videos. After losing his job in a factory during the pandemic, he quickly joined TikTok. Khaby boldly decided to produce videos for entertainment and rapidly garnered global fame. His unique mannerisms, appearance, and gestures have formed a universally recognizable internet identity. Followers eagerly await his newest releases, where he entertainingly responds to TikTok material, incorporating shrugs, mimes, and other amusing actions. Khaby became successful because he posts consistent content; he’s authentic, reliable, and engaging, which allowed him to grow not only his fame but also his pockets. Khaby now lives a life of luxury and is still an inspiration to those who want to be content creators and have a lasting impact. This COVID influencer has moved from creating humorous TikTok videos to being showcased in advertisements, promotions and skits for various other famous influencers such as Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr. and Tom Cruise.
The pandemic showed the world that regular people who don’t come from a background of wealth or fame can have a chance at the spotlight and also become a millionaire in the process. These COVID influencers inspired children and adults to share their lives and experiences on social media during a period when social interactions were lacking. Their short fame and quick money might be part of the reason why we don’t hear about them anymore.
When you open your social media app, you are entering the world of entertainment and money and that gets you caught up in all the trends, memes, and desires that you want. Maybe taking social media breaks more often could help us refocus on what truly matters in life: genuine connections, personal growth, and meaningful experiences. While social media can provide opportunities for regular individuals to achieve fame and wealth, it also comes with its pitfalls, including fleeting fame and the constant pressure to be relevant. It's essential to balance between enjoying the benefits of social media and maintaining a healthy perspective on its role in our lives. Ultimately, finding fulfillment and happiness doesn't solely rely on likes, followers, or viral content, but rather on our relationships and experiences offline.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.