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View all search resultsStop obsessing over celebrities! They monetize our likes
Celebrities build their loyal “army” using tactics specifically designed to do just one thing: gain more subscribers and followers.
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H
ow many people know that our likes, comments and follows or subscriptions on celebrity accounts are monetized? How many of us realize that these people make even more money the more views they get? Are we even aware that altruism is not what inspires them to get into the business, but their full understanding of the power they gain through a loyal audience?
The “celebrities” I am referring to here are vloggers, YouTubers and influencers who clearly make their income from advertisements or product endorsements. This new wave of celebrities use digital platforms to deliver content that feed off the masses.
It is mind-boggling, though, to observe just how far they are willing to go for views, likes and comments. When these celebrity content creators share their private lives, the line between work and the personal is blurred.
Celebrities build their loyal “army” using tactics specifically designed to do just one thing: gain more subscribers and followers. Some of the strategies they use include giving an endearing name to their fan group and greeting them with particular words and phrases that intimate a personal connection and make them feel special.
Who wouldn’t feel special being called “darling” by Huda Kattan of Huda Beauty, the Iraqi-American makeup artist and YouTuber who has 48 million followers? And who wouldn’t feel as though they have a brother in English gamer and YouTuber DanTDM when he greets them with “Hi guys”? My son is certainly a big fan of his.
In our own backyard, we have actor Baim Wong with his iconic “Bosque”, a play on the term bosku (boss), which he uses to address the 17 million followers who love his social experiments and pranks.
This implied connection is what we desire most in a society that is becoming increasingly isolated because of globalization, and especially because of social media.
