If you have kids you’ve probably heard names like PewDiePie, Peanut Butter Gamer, Jenna Marbles, Smosh, and a million more. Your kids have probably said things like “Check out this awesome Minecraft video” or “This YouTube video is so funny.” Then they harass you until you watch the video and it is never as awesome as they say. However, don’t discount Vine, YouTube, and Twitter famous people. They are the future of celebrity and they really matter.
PewDiePie was the first person to get 10 billion YouTube views. To put that in reference there are about 7 billion people in the entire world. His real name is Felix Kjellberg. He made over $7 million dollars last year. As a college student he started recording himself playing games and his viewership grew. Chances are if you have a gamer in your house, they know who this guy is.
Smosh is made up of Ian Andrew Hecox and Anthony Padilla. They post short videos that kids and teens find hilarious. This past summer they released a movie about YouTube, made mostly of people from YouTube. These late 1980’s kids know what our millennial children want and they are giving it to them in truckloads.
When Eonline posted 18 Moments From the 2015 Teen Choice Awards the comments blew up letting them know how out of touch they are. It seemed like the 30-something author was completely clueless when it came to social media and teens of 2015. It is important to realize that YouTube celebrities have much more influence than other celebs. They are current and up to date with their videos. Kids and Teens can connect with the YouTubers via the comment section.
Don’t discount these celebrities, they aren’t just a passing fad. When someone asked my kid what he wanted to be when he grows up, his answer was, “A YouTube star.” You may not be able to keep up with everything your kid is watching on YouTube, but don’t discount it as basic entertainment. These celebs make hundreds of thousands of dollars, even millions, and they aren’t going away soon.
