Popular at a Price

Popular @ a Price

By Brookyln Brown, Art Director

Acertain nostalgia comes with the mention of the times when bottle flipping was banned and fidget spinners were obsessively bought. Teens can recall the era of the “hurricane tortilla” and “FRE SHA VA CA DO.” Most Gen Z’ers know exactly what funny thing to say when they see a “roadwork ahead” sign in their path. Trends like these are universally celebrated among students. However, along with an abundance of trends, this very special era brought forth the emergence of an equally special kind of celebrity- the influencer. “Influencers aren’t necessarily celebrities,” junior Dana Radentz said. “I feel like they are types of people who are much more connected to their audience than just your average celebrity in Hollywood.” After the birth of social media, seemingly ordinary people were suddenly thrust into the public eye. Big names like Liza Koshy, Gabbie Hanna, and Jake and Logan Paul were everywhere. However, the internet has a bad habit of thrusting disposable personalities into the spotlight just to criticize them back into irrelevancy again. “2016… that’s when it was at its peak,” sophomore Tristan Yaklin said. “I remember new people that would come and go every week.” Internet stars themselves have come to represent something of a trend. Yaklin compared their disposability to TikTok dances. “People do them, it’s trendy, but then the next week it’s onto the next thing so they are forgotten about,” Yaklin said. The concept of the fleeting influencer can only be explained by the constantly changing opinions of their audience. Compared to the average person, influencers are held to a higher moral standard. Although arguably hypocritical at times, criticizing influencers can help keep checks and balances on the power they have over their impressionable fans. “You can look at it from two sides,” Radentz said.“Yeah no one is perfect and everyone is going to make mistakes...but also, they have a really big platform and that comes with a lot of responsibility.” From socially incorrect remarks, to controversial brand deals, and sometimes even criminal offenses; influencers have been canceled for it all. “If they make a mistake it might influence their fans that it’s okay to make that mistake… especially if they have a younger audience,” Radentz said. However, the majority of internet stars emerge into the spotlight while still in adolescence. It’s a lot to ask a young person to consider how every one of their actions influence their followers. “They might not know what to do in certain circumstances that they find themselves in with their power that they gain from their followers,” Yaklin said. Yaklin said it’s easy for students to jump on the trend of hating influencers before completely forming their own opinions. “Most of my friends do because they might be envious or they just don’t see the purpose in why [the influencers] attract their followers,” Yaklin said. One can imagine how the trend of being hated is a lot to handle for young influencers. A new show featuring teen internet star, Charlie D’Amelio, and her family, called The D’Amelio Show has sparked some controversy since its recent release on Hulu. Teenagers all over the internet are labeling it as purely “cringe,” but many, like Radentz, are noticing the way the internet fuels a desire to hate. Several clips have gone viral of the two young sisters having severe panic attacks on camera due to paparazzi and bad publicity. “It really annoys me,” Radentz said. “You can’t expect a 17 year old to have the same maturity and know about the same stuff as a 25 year old.” Like many influencers, D’Amelio still hasn’t even reached adulthood. “Being at such a young age and randomly getting all of these followers because you’re an influencer can change your perspective on life and change how you think compared to a normal person your age,” Yaklin said. Many popular online personalities are the same age as ZCHS students, so maybe they shouldn’t be held to higher standards. “I do feel like sometimes people are definitely much harsher on them just for no reason,” Radentz said. “I feel like it’s kind of a trend to be like ‘oh some people are cringy.’” Before jumping on the trend of hating an influencer, take a step back and consider them as an individual instead of a trend. “I still see influencers as people rather than icons so I don’t make fun of them,” Yaklin said. As drama-fueled teens ourselves, do we really have a right to criticize the very people that bring us our satisfying daily dose of drama? Love them or hate them, teenagers’ lives wouldn’t be the same if it wasn’t for the internet influencer. “Just because they’re famous and they have all of this money doesn’t give you the right to be rude to them,” Radentz said.

“I still see influencers as people rather than icons so I don’t mkae fun of them.” - Tristan Yaklin, 10

“You can’t expect a 17 year old to have the same maturity and know about the same stuff as a 25 year old.” - Dana Radentz, 11