In 1968, pop art icon Andy Warhol said “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” Warhol seemed to be wise beyond his years because with how digitized our society has become, it is now normal for social media users to fall victim to what is called 15 seconds of fame.
Platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube have created spaces for ordinary people to experience fame for a short amount of time. The idea of quick fame is enticing to many because it is seen as a gateway to becoming a celebrity.
In the past, it may have been easier to achieve celebrity status from social media platforms. However, the idea of becoming a celebrity from creating content has become more taboo with how saturated the social media market has become.
Although there are some success stories of social media users becoming celebrities, many often become “one-hit wonders.” The phenomenon leads us to wonder how long someone can benefit from their moment of virality.
One of the most prominent social media platforms first responsible for speedily catapulting ordinary people to fame was Vine. Known for its 6-second comedy videos, from 2013 to 2017, Vine created a space for ordinary people to showcase their silly personalities and talents.
Today, many Vine users are still benefiting from their 15 seconds of fame. Celebrities such as Shawn Mendes, Quenlin Blackwell and Liza Koshy all got their start on Vine.
However, after Vine’s decline in 2017, there was a shift in short-form videos. The next social media platform many adopted was Musically and, shortly after, TikTok.
Though Musically did well, the success of TikTok outperformed all other social media platforms. Similar to Vine, ordinary people have the opportunity to post short-form videos and go viral on TikTok.
TikTok users such as Brittany Broski and Jake Shane were able to build from their brief moment of virality. However, for many, the social media user to celebrity pipeline proved to be slightly more challenging.
After receiving a lot of praise from a couple of videos, it can be easy to think a big break is right around the corner. Unfortunately, many people who claim fame from these short-form video platforms come to realize if they cannot offer anything unique compared to their competition, they might fail.
With the momentary fame accumulated on these platforms, it is not uncommon for people to try to profit from it. More recently, the way many have tried to do so is by moving to Los Angeles.
For many, LA is seen as a place for creative opportunity. By moving there, people think they will be able to maximize their small following and become an influencer or even a celebrity.
Aspiring influencers who move to LA can find it shocking to learn they may not be as popular as they perceived themselves to be. After making the move, these people eventually fizzle out of content creation and lose followers.
In the past, influencer groups such as The Hype House or Team 10 have experienced failure from moving to LA. Often, these groups come with hopes to all be successful, but typically only a couple of individuals get recognition.
For example, The Hype House’s Charli D'Amelio was one of the few influencers from the group to succeed. Unlike many of her other counterparts, D’Amelio had a TV show on Hulu and was featured on Broadway, making her a celebrity.
However, several of the other content creators within The Hype House did not experience the same level of fame as D’amelio. Influencers such as Thomas Petrou or Chase Hudson seem to have fallen off since the end of the Hype House and have not been able to regain a following.
Some of these failures are caused by a shift in the type of content being created, burnout or intense competition.
The notion of LA changing people does seem to ring true. Many aspiring influencers have lost followers because their fans believe moving to LA made them lose touch with reality.
General audiences enjoy watching people whom they can relate to. Fans begin to lose interest when they no longer see their favorite content creator as an equal.
It can be tricky starting a career in social media. To live the life of a successful influencer based on 15 seconds of fame, a person typically has to have a certain type of charisma or talent.
