The internet has changed the game in so many ways, but perhaps most significant is the accessibility it has brought to a life of fame and fortune. Reputation, which previously relied on the perfect combination of talent, connections and sheer dumb luck, is now a thing to be cultivated. And some have managed to turn their carefully crafted online presence into a seriously lucrative business venture.
As the experiences of the individuals at the centre of documentary Chasing Famous prove, however, such status might offer the promise of success, but at what cost?
Meet the influencers of The Wave House, the UK’s multimillion-pound hub for social media superstars, managed by former footballer and Yoke Network CEO, Jidé Maduako. The group, all in their early 20s, soared to individual fame on TikTok, one of the most popular social media platforms in recent years thanks to its ability to propel young people from relative anonymity to global recognition overnight.
As members of the original Wave House, influencers Jimbo H and Eloise Fouladgar know exactly what is at stake, as they and fellow Brit, Ehiz Ufuah, along with American additions Reagan Yorke and Zack Fairhurst, prepare to combine their popularity on The Wave House account and take their reach to the next level. Their names might be unfamiliar to many of us, but for the nearly 20 million followers they boast between them on the video sharing platform, they are celebrities in every sense of the word. And for three months, they’ll be living and creating content together, in a creator house.
There’s no doubt it takes ingenuity and a fair amount of skill to work TikTok to your advantage, but when the product to be bought and sold is you, success isn’t without its drawbacks. The level of potential prosperity is hard enough to comprehend, with life-changing opportunities and financial freedom within reach for the most successful creators, but so too is the intensity of the expectations that come with it: the pressure to generate views and remain relevant, above all else. Add to that the challenge of living with others striving for the same goal, each with their own agenda, ideas and ego to be stroked, and what could go wrong?
Masks help build suspense before the big reveals on ‘Chasing Famous’. Source: Vice Media
Well, spoiler alert, it turns out a lot of things can. Clinical psychologist Dr Sarah Helps is on hand over the eight weeks of the series, and as she chats one-on-one with the influencers throughout their time in the house, it quickly becomes clear that a curated public image often masks a very different private persona.
Amidst the crippling self-doubt and desperate need for acceptance is a recognition of their addiction to technology that drives feelings of loneliness, inadequacy, and makes the prospect of walking away from the temporary high of external validation seemingly impossible. Yes, they are having fun, and yes, they have managed to make a career out of doing so, but not one of these influencers has forgotten that it could all be taken away if they fail to live up to the demands of their fans. This only serves to heighten the tension and anxiety that comes with relinquishing a level of control over what they are putting online as part of a content creation house.
It’s interesting to hear how the time and effort that has gone into preserving their online selves has, for many of the creators in the house, meant they have lost the sense of who they are beyond it. The obsession that drives content creation at the level of this group doesn’t make room for much else. As Zack tells Dr Helps, “it was always a big dream of mine to be somebody”, but in choosing to place themselves in the limelight and chase stardom in this way, each reflects on the impact of opening themselves up to adoration and hate in equal measure. Both run the risk of becoming suffocating.
Away from the spotlight, the individuals sitting across from Dr Helps are clearly just young people trying to figure out who they are, and it’s hard not to wonder whether they’ve given up the chance to do so without ever realising that they have.
As the documentary series tracks the development of this social media brains trust, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of each view and comment. The production value and effort that goes into every single video they produce is astounding and the creativity of the group is undeniably impressive. However, once you get to know each influencer as a person and not a subscriber count, it’s hard to forget what they have sacrificed to get to where they are. It’s a cost that makes you wonder if, given the chance, they’d still choose to do it all over again.
Eight-part series Chasing Famous premieres at 10.10pm, Thursday 27 January on SBS VICELAND.
