The Internet Made Me Do It: Growing Up with Online Fame

By Kiki Pape

February 2025

There was a time when fame was defined by flashing lights, red carpets, and magazine covers. Actors, musicians, and artists ruled the carpet exclusively. Now, it can start with a front-facing camera, a quiet room, and sharing a simple daily routine. 

Click. A ring light clicks on. A laptop hums to life. A creator presses a record. 

"Hey guys, welcome back to my channel! Welcome to a day in my life!" 

I remember being a kid, sitting cross-legged in front of my computer, completely mesmerized by Youtubers like Mylifeaseva and Bethany Mota.

 Their perfectly edited morning routines, their bubbly personalities, and their abilities to turn everyday life into something worth watching made me dream of telling my own story and having an audience that cared.

 So I tried; I filmed a choppy clip on my iPod touch, mimicking their enthusiasm, and quickly realized that perfection wasn't so effortless after all. 

Then came teenager Emma Chamberlain, who changed everything. Her chaotic jump cuts, sarcastic voice overs, and effortlessly relatable energy made it feel like anyone could pick up a camera and be themselves. 

No script. No filter. Just real life, slightly edited.

Years later, as a senior in college, I see how storytelling has evolved. YouTube was once the ultimate platform for sharing personal narratives, but TikTok has redefined the landscape, making content creation more accessible. With its fast-paced, unfiltered nature, it's made content creation more accessible than ever. Creators like Alix Earle embrace the casual college lifestyle. Stream-of-consciousness storytelling proves that a perfectly imperfect life is worth engaging in, if not more, than the hyper-curated vlogs of the past. 

Beyond creativity, there's growth for opportunities. What once seemed like a dream- making money from sharing your story- has become a full-fledged career path. Kindergarten classrooms in the future will be saying;

"I want to be a Youtuber when I grow up." 

Brand deals, sponsorships, and ad revenue have returned bedrooms into studios and hobbies into incomes. 

I have grown up watching the words shift, feeling the uncontrollable nature of life. Social media has been a consistent outlet for individuals to share their stories. The idea of sharing my own story, of building something from my laptop screen, has always lingered in the back of my mind. And maybe now, as I step closer to graduation, it's time to finally hit post.