The Rise of Internet Fame & Cancel Culture

With the creation of YouTube, we have seen the rise of internet stars take over the media. This is something completely new, as the world has never experienced this phenomenon of rising to fame for doing...literally nothing. People used to rise to fame over their hard work and talent, but now, in the day and age of TikTok and YouTube, all you need is to be considered attractive and do something that will make you go viral.

Let's take a look at TikTok star Addison Rae, who is now pursuing a music career after becoming famous on TikTok, and befriending reality television star Kourtney Kardashian. Just by dancing in front of her phone, Addison Rae is now performing on the Jimmy Fallon show and is preparing to release her first album reportedly over the summer. Not only is this an impressive feat, but Addison Rae is also working with prominent names in the music industry. There was backlash on social media because of the opportunity that Rae is given, as many feel that there are more deserving people in the music industry that deserve the opportunities that Addison Rae is receiving.

Addison Rae also isn't the only social media star that receives backlash for opportunities they receive. Netflix in the past week has announced a new reality TV series with members of the "Hype House" (a group of TikTok and YouTube personalities that live together) starring in the show. Netflix received tons of backlash for this, as it has continuously cancelled important shows that represent marginalized communities to create shows that are media grabs. It's interesting to look at it this way, because this is just one of the ways that the Public Relations industry is constantly growing as society grows. With social media booming and Internet personalities reaching an all-time high every year, PR Representatives now have to deal with cancel culture. Cancel culture is a whole new beast in itself, as people on social media now hold influencers responsible for their words and/or actions. Personally, I do not see anything wrong with holding people accountable for things that they say or do, but we also need to give some of these influencers and people a chance to redeem themselves, as everyone makes mistakes. It will be interesting to see how cancel culture, internet fame, and the PR industry go as technology continues to grow.