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The realm of social media can be likened to a battlefield where individuals wage wars for likes, struggle to gain attention, risk facing cancellation, and aspire to achieve overnight virality. While for the fortunate few, it offers a lucrative career path with the creator economy projected to reach nearly $500 billion by 2027, for most, it remains a perplexing and unrelenting space where algorithms dictate visibility. In a bid to explore the challenges of breaking through this digital quagmire, three passionate individuals devoid of any social media presence embarked on a journey to transform their talents into online traction within a span of three months.
Emily, a potter and stroke survivor, Alun, a historian, and Danyah, a theatre performer, documented their experiences navigating the highs and lows of striving to find an audience and enduring the emotional rollercoaster inherent in the pursuit of online fame. Emily, whose cognitive abilities were altered following a stroke at 26, found solace in pottery, using it as a creative outlet. Venturing onto TikTok to connect with and inspire individuals in similar circumstances, she initially struggled to garner views. However, a video detailing how pottery had rescued her life resonated with thousands, earning praise from stroke survivors who found solace in her content. The overwhelming responsibility of engaging with comments, coupled with concerns regarding authenticity, weighed heavily on Emily as she grappled with the complexities of addressing sensitive topics like stroke recovery.
On the other hand, Alun, a senior lecturer in history specializing in early modern medicine and beard culture, recognized the lack of historical content on social media, propelling him to participate in the experiment to educate the masses. Despite consistent posting on TikTok, Alun faced frustrations as his videos failed to breach the 1,000-view mark, causing his self-worth to diminish as he fixated on numbers. Nevertheless, the university’s endorsement of his content as promotional material significantly amplified his reach, juxtaposing the meager readership of his academic articles. While creating content was not intended to supplant his scholarly pursuits, Alun acknowledged the enhanced visibility it offered and committed to continued online presence.
In a reversal of roles, theatre performer and producer Danyah found herself grappling with a desire to foster interpersonal connections in an increasingly digital world. Drawn by the prospect of uniting individuals, she ventured into the experiment with a focus on YouTube, opting for slower, more substantial content. Despite her initial enthusiasm, Danyah’s descent into the intricacies of social media mechanics led to mental exhaustion, with the pursuit of understanding how to amass a substantial following consuming her thoughts. Despite the mental toll, she persevered, gradually observing a rise in viewership and a positive impact on her professional endeavors. Determined not to internalize viewership metrics, Danyah acknowledged the potential advantages of an expanded online presence and remained committed to her digital journey beyond the confines of the experiment
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