Kendra Brea Cooper
This past weekend, the Teen Choice Awards handed out a good chunk of appreciation to some big time web stars. Web stars are becoming the favourite celebs among the teen group, and this changes the culture industry by loosening up the industry grip and handing over power of choice to the online viewers. The web is just more of an interesting place than the television these days, and that in itself has the potential to change the industry entirely.
Bethany made a name for herself by showing the YouTube world her fashion hauls and providing style advice. Now she goes on tours to meet fans and has a line at Aeropostale. It just goes to show what people look for on the web, and especially with fashion, we are looking to each other for advice.
Tyler is a trailblazing YouTube personality who rose to fame with his advocacy for LGBT youth. He mixes queer politics and pop culture, breaking ground for youth discourse on the subject and raising awareness by being a voice that is refreshing and smart.
Our2ndLife is a YouTube collaboration between 7 very funny guys who are all (young) vets of the YouTube video genre. It's interesting because making your own channel with all your friends video shows was something dreams were made of while I was a teen. Now it's possible, and can be successful, with cell phones and the internet.
Shawn's career picked up just months after posting Vines of himself covering pop songs. This Canadian boy found exposure at the tips of his fingers, and is now signed to Island Records. It's amazing how your life can change in six second clips.
Zoe (Zoella) is a vlogger who became influential through her lifestyle blog after just a few years. She now has a book deal through Penguin Books. What's more interesting is how many lifestyle blogs get views with our wonderment and need for advice that lead us there. Who do we seek for this advice and why? It's a good question to ask yourself.
One Direction has a way of making you feel closer to them in 140 characters. From conversations through tweets to funny insights, these boys rock the twitter world. They appreciate their fans, because they know their fans made them who they are today as a group.
Once again, One Direction received an award for their online presence. They know how to connect with people and share their lives over the web. It helps in a time where tabloids can dictate a story, so at least they have some control of what they want to express over Instagram and Twitter.
Katy Perry has stayed out of online feuds and gossip, but has stayed in as someone who seems genuine and sees social media as fun as she axes the drama. Her millions of followers prove that the drama doesn't always attract attention.
Cameron Dallas has about 4 million followers on his vine account; not bad in a platform for videos that only last seconds. In under a year of posting, he had about 9 million followers combined. He caused a stir at the Teen Choice awards by uncovering the fact that he was informed about his win 6 days before voting ended, revealing the "choice" voters actually have at the Teen Choice Awards.
PewDiePie Youtubes himself playing video games with his personality added to the mix. Watching someone play a game is actually entertaining, and while some don't actually "get" this guy, he seems to have gained quite the following. He's saying something about our culture, I'm not sure what yet.
Pop culture and all that ideology sitting in the blind spot. Also crafts.
