Is Social Media the New Way to Fame?

In the age of the millennial, social media has become an integral part of one’s existence. Social media is widely used to record and publicize the events of one’s life, keep track of our favourite celebrities and access information on a global scale. However, of late there has been a new trend facilitated through the use of social media; that is the emergence of “social media celebrities”. With this new phenomenon, it begs the question; is social media the new gateway to fame? The traditional route of stardom has constituted talent, consistency, hard work and a special “it” factor that an individual possesses across the entertainment, sports and media industries. However through social media, with the right viewership and enough exposure, a person can create for themselves a large scale platform from which enough attention is generated to be dubbed a “social media influencer”. As a result, persons become interested in the things they post and their general lifestyle. In most cases, the scope of social media influencers remain online; however, due to the global reach of social media, there are instances where corporate entities reach out to these influencers to promote their brands thus providing for them endorsements deals that enhance their celebrity.