A new breed of celebrity has arisen in today’s society in the form of YouTubers and they have more influence than many A-list celebrities.
With all the influential people in today’s world it’s no surprise that A-list celebrities and YouTubers have a lot of pull on teens. A recent survey among took the top 10 A-list celebrities (by Q score) and the top ten YouTubers (by subscribers) teens rated five YouTubers as the most popular of the twenty. So what makes them so popular?
According to mediakix.com YouTubers are “more relatable because of their perceived authenticity and approachability.” Approachability is a major difference between YouTubers and A-list celebrities. YouTubers are generally seen as ordinary, even with millions of subscribers, while A-list celebrities are definitely not seen in that same light. Huffington Post quoted a teen saying that “YouTubers are more interesting because they ‘show everyone who they are.’” What makes them popular isn’t movie appearances or wealth. It is the fact that they are ordinary people just being themselves for the world to see.
This connection with viewers has allowed them to both influence and motivate their audience, especially teens and young adults. More than half of their audience believes they could eventually become YouTube stars while only forty percent thought they could become movie stars.
Merriam Webster defines a celebrity as a famous or celebrated person. By this definition, popular YouTubers are celebrities. But every person has their own definition as to what it means to be a celebrity. Being a celebrity and being famous correlate but there is a difference between the two.
Live Mag UK states that “Fame isn’t always a good thing because you can be famous for all the wrong reasons. Whereas, as a celebrity, you’re almost expected to meet so many unrealistic expectations which can be beneficial when it comes to bettering your career.” Using this definition of fame and celebrity leaves the argument open for debate.
Whatever your definition, YouTubers are here to stay and their influence is spreading like wildfire.
Sources: http://mediakix.com/2014/09/youtube-influencers-vs-celebrities-whos-popular-teens/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/04/teens-prefer-youtubers-over celebrities_n_6801792.html
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