The good life is filled with Instagram selfies, all manner of emojis and products held high so you, the consumer, can see them, buy them and live a good life too.

So what does fame mean anymore? Where in the world can we have a blue checkmark regardless of our achievements?

Celebrityhood has turned from being an actor in movies or an artist in music to the online world, and fame is just a click away for those of us who can’t act or sing or play an instrument. Achieving stardom has become so much easier than ever before. Forget talent or a special skill, you just need the right filter and the ability to promote products you most likely don’t use.
Why do we all want to be celebrities? It’s pretty simple, really.

All the movies tell us that fame is empty when you’re being observed every second on national television, when your followers post videos of you doing simple things like eating a doughnut.

But being a celebrity means you never have to worry about everyday issues like being stuck in traffic because, of course, there is a limo rushing you to your private jet that is always ready to take you away and dodge it all. And that can fill the emptiness, at least for a while.

Before you can enter the portal at TikTok Live, you will need to bathe yourself in one thing called “The Influencer Aura” That’s the ability to act inspirational while at the same time casually showing off how much better your life is than everyone else’s. All the while, you need to assume the aura of being a regular person. Influencers know that the key to their success is authenticity – with all the right lighting and filters and products held just so. We are authentic in real life, but how can we be authentic online when we’re posing with our breakfast food and checking the light on our selfies?

Meanwhile, it is to remind your audience how hard you are working and that you are doing this for them. Oh, and did I mention you should be sure to check your lighting?

We all want that spotlight, and we want our phones to blow up with notifications. If we can get famous brands to send us their product, even better. And maybe we can somehow become famous enough to own our big product – say, a skincare line or even get a multi-million dollar deal with Nike just like Lele Pons, a famous influencer who collaborates with huge brands and has built a base with her content.

Or we can be like James Charles, a makeup artist and beauty influencer who leaped to fame through his YouTube tutorials and bubbly (some would say manic) personality. He made a name by collaborating with top beauty brands such as Morphe, where he launched his own makeup collection. In one video, Charles compared the makeup routines of singer Billie Eilish and Tate McRae, a Canadian singer and actress. In that way, he latched his wagon to two stars. That is so very meta.