- Insider spoke with TikTok’s star Addison Rae about the pitfalls that have led to her immense success.
- She stated that she hopes social media becomes a place of positivity and not negativity. “tearing people down.”
- Since his rise to TikTok fame, the 21-year old has faced criticisms and trolling.
TikTok’s Fourth most followed creatorAddison Rae Easterling claims fame has “completely changed my life,”However, being a social media sensation overnight is not all good.
Easterling, who has more than 86 million TikTok followers, praised how social media allows people to talk about issues in an open conversation. However, she acknowledged that there are some pitfalls to such a large public audience.
Many TikTokers of great stature, including 21-year old Easterling, are under intense scrutiny when they are thrust into the public eye. Easterling’s fashion sense, Her attempt at a music careerAnd Her signature pouty smileTrolling has been used on them all.
“I think constructive criticism is never wrong, but I think tearing people down is, and that’s kind of what I think the world will learn hopefully to stray away from,”She spoke. “Sometimes people use social media to kind of mask themselves or disguise themselves and be able to say whatever they want, whether that’s going to hurt someone or not.”
Easterling and other TikTok stars face a challenge because of the incredible speed with which the platform can propel teenagers and young adults into the spotlight.
“The way TikTok works is anyone can go viral,”Insider was informed by her. “You can have a video go viral one day that you randomly post to your 10 followers and the next day it has hundreds of thousands of views. People have been more capable of experiencing the power of the internet.”
It can be difficult to manage this popularity, but Easterling has a simple mantra that she lives by and she recommends it to young creators. “Not everyone is meant to like you.”She hopes social media users will soon recognize the damage they can do to others who are subject to snipes.
“Hopefully, we continue to grow on the internet and learn ways to use it in a positive way,”Insider was told by Easterling “And use it kind of what it was initially meant for, which was sharing things that we’re passionate about.”
Easterling has been criticized for co-opting dances by Black creators and presenting these to large audiences including on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,”After Forbes’ listing of the highest-earning individuals, I was unsure if social media platforms could do more to support diverse voices.YouTubersAnd TikTokers in 2021 — of which she was part — featured predominately white faces.
“That’s an interesting question,”Insider was informed by her. “I think it’s all very new and very new to everyone. I think there’s a lot to learn about it and a lot to figure out in the next few years. That whole change in life has only happened recently. I guess we’ll have to see.”
Easterling gained fame with her TikTok videos, which featured dances, lip-syncs, and comedy skits. She signed a contract in September 2021. Multi-picture Deal with NetflixAwarded $2 million for her success with her first movie “He’s All That.”
Insider was told by Easterling that she had not seen the Netflix reality series. “Hype House,” based in a communal TikTok creator mansion of which she was once part, but that she was “super excited”About future films that could be made with the
Streaming
service.
She claimed that there are “lots more projects down the road”She is still working on it, but she hasn’t yet shared her progress with her followers.
Her current focus is on the fight against breast cancer. In partnership with the NFL, the American Cancer Society and other organizations, she will attend the Super Bowl with one of the fans who donated at least $10. American Cancer Society’s Crucial Catch campaignThe, which aids more people in catching cancer early and addresses the unbalanced burden of the disease among marginalized communities.
“Being able to be a part of the American Cancer Society and raising money to fight cancer is a great opportunity, because I know it’s affected me and it’s affected people I know,”She spoke.
You can find more stories like these from Insider’s Digital Culture Team here.