These Kids Are Skipping College to Be TikTok Famous 

I'm glad these people are doing what they love. I'm equally as glad that I don't need to worry about them coming for my job in 15 years.

I truly feel bad for the millions of kids who spend their free time watching other people's lives on a screen instead of going out and living their own

"We're the Beyoncé and Jay-Z of social media." bro I don't know who you are

This reporter is good at his job. He doesn’t really know anything about the subject but there’s something in his manner that allows him to get open, honest commentary from every interviewee.

being with these people would literally kill me

Would love to see a life update on these young adults 10 years from now.

- What's your niche? - I blink

I know it sounds very "get off my lawn" of me to say this, but I truly feel like social media is destroying a generation of our youth. I'm thankful that it didn't exist for most of my childhood. It encouraged me to do important things like reading instead of incessantly scrolling TikTok. That algorithm is strong and gets me sometimes as an adult. I am fearful for what that is going to do to the development of Gen Z.

The marketing lady is terrifying. Those aren't people to her, those are moneymakers.

Peepeepoopoo.

US congress banning tik Tok thus ending these kids careers LOL

As a first year college student,(Same age as the youngest in the house), I don’t see anyone younger or a bit older than me wanting to be an influencer. If anything they don’t think it couldn’t be successful or is “cringey.” I don’t blame the kids that want to do TikTok or are doing it as full-time either. It’s hard out here. Everything is getting so much more expensive when wages don’t rise fast enough. Also many are expected to go to college, it’s time and money. It’s so hard to buy a house too. Many lower class middle and so forth see our parents work tirelessly. It took 20+ years for us to buy a house since immigrating. We waited, so we could find the right priced house and save some extra money for stability. I don’t blame them for tying to find social media as an option.

I'm worried for people who are getting influenced by these influencers 😩

The most Dad journalist is actually asking the right questions and is amazingly receptive. Kudos to this dude

It's sad how talentless performers get more fame and wealth while indie hardworking performers struggle but get by slowly...

Tiktok ban incoming. These kids about to wish they stayed in school 😂😂😂

"Selling out is no longer an insult, it's the goal". Crazy to think that's the world we live in.

as a teen who’s on tiktok a lot, it’s so bizarre seeing them actually plan out such simple videos 😭

Honestly, I don't blame the people making the content. I respect the hustle. The problem is the audiences who are actually obsessed with this content, rather than experiencing life physically.

I have a bachelors and masters degree and I am working as a teacher making 55 grand a year. I am happy these kids are skipping going mountains in debt and getting money from doing it.

When the "manager" talks about the genZ moving in to married life, childern etc. That got me really concerned over the kids that will be born to these TikTok personalities with a camera shoved into there face 24/7 and there life shared all over the internet. I can definitely see Vice doing a documentary on the damaged kids from this in 10-20 years. Its honestly sad

I’m conflicted about this trend, sure college isn’t for everyone and not everyone graduates, but that experience still seems healthier than exposing young people to the psychological harms of celebrity

Mid-range millenial here. It's just so crazy how adults my age remember what life was really like before any social media. Hard to really put in words.

The TikTok industry reminds me of my first real relationship with a boy that I dated for 1,5 years during my teens. It wasn't a toxic relationship, but it was unhealthy as we both didn't really accept eachother for what we were, but wanted the other to change into the perfect partner. After we broke up, I realized I didn't know who I was, as I heavily relied on him to "tell me" how to behave. I spent three years having to grow back from that. I feel like if and/or when the fame of TikTok is over for these kids, they'll not know who they are, because someone else told them what to do to be liked. When they don't have that anymore, they'll go into an existential crisis. And I for one know how bad that can get, even though I had real and honest and loving people all around me to catch me after I fell. I just hope they will have that too!!

I'm 23 y/o old as of recently and i feel alienated towards this whole social media influencer wave. It all seems so artificial and temporary.

the ability of this man hurling insults across someones face and getting away with it as a joke is astonishing

I love how the guy is like 35 and acts like he never even used the internet before

"The transitory nature of a human billboard." THANK YOU!! This is EXACTLY, almost word for word what I have said for a long time now. I love to dress up. I love to do my makeup and put on pretty clothes. I have been told by MANY people that I could be an influencer. I had someone say "There are influencers doing less." and I tell them that "I would rather die. I refuse to be a billboard." I have used the term "human billboard" for a while. I am a musician. I want to be seen as a musician. Not some mannequin. I want to be seen as a living, breathing human being with value outside of the way I look, and the way I dress. I actually was told I should work on boosting my socials before I release music, and I made an honest effort. I tried to stay true to myself and keep up. It just wasn't going to happen. It made me stressed so quickly because it isn't who I am. It was a betrayal to my own boundaries and values, even though I wasn't putting anything up that from an outsiders perspective, would go against who I am. It was all stuff I would have in my phones gallery, so why not? Because those moments aren't meant to represent me. The way I dress is a form of art. I love it! but I refuse to be "The girl who dresses up, oh and she makes music." Once I release music and have something out there that DOES represent me, it may change a tiny bit... But I could never do what these kids are doing. I am glad they are making a living and enjoying themself, but I wouldn't want that for myself.

HVAC technician here. To all of the people out there working diligently, thoughtfully, and honestly, don’t ever for a second forget how important you are. Even thought you’re not getting a constant dopamine rush from your 2.7m followers in your dms, always remember that you’re not alone. Myself and many others are grateful and humbled by what you do. You are the silent warriors that fight every single day with body and mind to keep this world going round.

Imagine a kid introducing their parents, 'Yeah, my father does tiktok for a living' 😊

The word 'influencer' is a desperate effort to artificially label a not so notable person as significant.

This whole social media TikTok creator house looks like a real life Disney show.

What's lost on the majority of these kids is that their window of opportunity is tiny, but in the moment they think it'll last forever. Inevitably, life is going to hit them like a ton of bricks.

The age of influencers has honestly given rise to a class of people who think they are entitled to fame and happiness by not doing anything. It seems idiotic, strange but most importantly it is dangerous.

So many comments trying to disparage the kids' success as "fleeting," when really they don't need to be successful for all that long. As the lady said, they just need to invest and save while they're earning.

As someone who has two Master's degrees, I think they're on the right path. Student loans are suffocating and there's no guarantee you'll land a job. They are learning a business model while doing what they enjoy. Nothing wrong with that.

The problem is the following: 1. TikTok will fade into irrelevance as did other platforms. 2. The fans of them will get older and will get disinterested. 3. They will get older. 4. Just chasing trends does not provide any value. They will become irrelevant it is just a matter of time.

Honestly kierra made the most sense when she said "it's making people immature bc we're living like adults but we're not" I'm kinda sad at what our generation is gonna be known for

If they invest well and don’t blow all their money, it’s a great thing. Their looks, the audience, and the platform they are on will not last forever.

I don't blame them one bit! Make your money while you can, life is short. Just be responsible with it because when all of this ends, you will have that money saved up or invested wisely.

I can't blame the kids for going this route because they are in their young and attractive years and can make a ton of money. College does not always equate success and I know blue collar guys who made good money and bought houses in their 30s. My problem is how a market like this even exists. The fact that so many people sit around all day and watch pointless TikTok videos that it generates this amount of ad revenue is more disturbing.

This interviewer is 100% a comedian, he had me laughing through this entire segment. - if I downloaded the app there would be an amber alert - that’s the population of Ireland - I have no idea what they are doing right now 😂😂😂😂😂

I hate this generation so much

With the cost of tuition... I don't even blame them. It works if you guys actually hit it big, live below your means, and KEEP REINVESTING!!!

For them, high school will never end. And that’s terrifying. Part of integrating into adult society by working and studying is maturing and being able to contribute civically to your community in order to better society and yourself. The income itself is not necessarily going to accomplish this, but socialization and mentoring can help you through life.

I'm an architect and I promote myself on Tik Tok. You don't have to skip studies to use technology, you can study technology and use it to improve as a professional and as a human being. Life is not just dancing.

1 year later and I’ve never seen these kids on tiktok

Why are they all wearing weird contacts 🤣

Unfortunately the things these kids don’t learn are skills like critical thinking. A part of me admires their desire, sometimes talent, and drive but a lot of it seems very juvenile and immature. It’s bad enough during these times we’re dealing with so many adults who are ignorant uneducated with no critical thinking skills. I’m not saying all these kids have this problem but it does seem to be fertile ground for mindless materialism. All they seem to care about is making money and being famous. Sounds like the mental health industry is going to be booming in the coming decade.

I like how the manager is the one that went to college. And actually understands marketing concepts

This has been around for years and I still had to stop, watch and my mouth dropped open. These are lucky young people and I hope they are saving some of this money. I don't think that meeting was so "impromptu." They know who VICE is and any PR is good PR.

Y’all got to interview this people again if TikTok becomes banned

The word "influencer" exists because these people cannot pinpoint their skill or contribution to society. If they could, they would be called writers, painters, architects, composers, filmmakers, scientists, professors, doctors - i. e. the people who actually influence the world and better the life of mankind.

Out of every 1 TikTok success story, they don’t tell you that there are millions of kids out there who are not successful and who put off college and education, with the hope to be semi-famous. Get off of the Internet, and get outside, save humanity🙏🏾

I love how they thought this would last. THANK YOU CONGRESS!

This guy is me!!! His facial expressions and questions are hilarious!!! I love it😂😂♥️

Refreshing journalism. Great how he showed up as a curious, imperfect person rather than as a generic storyteller.

He makes a good point. What happens to you at 60 if you wasted your 20s making tik tok videos? Maybe you could use it to launch a business, but realistically how many of them are really going to have built up the skills and experience to do this and succeed? It already sounds like their "agent" is exploiting them, and they don't even know any better. I'm not saying they're all naive, but it's easy to loose your way in a status driven place like that.

"To be honest I don't like working hard - I like just being myself, to an extent, even though you kinda have to fake it" This is true happiness.

As much as I want to hate these kids, what they are doing is not easy and demands loads of creativity and perseverance. You got to give them props.

as a 17 year old , i can say one thing, never in my life ever will i choose to be someone like this

I'm so glad I was born and grew up in the 90s. I could not imagine having these kids mindsets and thinking what they do is cool.

"I like being myself, to an extent, even though I kind of have to fake it". Ok, makes sense.

Can you imagine watching these people in your free time? That's insane that people actually do that.

I am so glad Vice's reporter speaks and behaves the way he does in this. An adult concerned with the reality of the world in a room full of 'large children'. This is madness and he's right in his assessments. None of these people have any notoriety in the world for anything meaningful or useful to the benefit of mankind. They're just vessels for advertisement and that type of pseudo hidden advertising is the chief reason to avoid social media 'stars'. They're always selling something, even if you don't recognize it. Avoid it at all costs. Avoid people like this at all costs.

There's something so undeniably sinister about this lifestyle... especially from the perspective of these "managers" and people like that woman who recruits and runs these houses. The way she talks....ugh. like a "prison warden" like he said

BAN TIKTOK FASTER

i'm surprised but relieved to see many ppl of the new generation aren't getting sucked in by social media. Streaming is a lot more widespread in asia, and I've seen the endgame of those who don't make it.

I'm gonna be honest, I think this is the worst possible decision a young adult could make. You are placing your livelihood, your basic needs, in the hands of an uncontrollable algorithm. You may argue, "Well, RU-vidrs do basically the same thing, how is that any different?" With RU-vid being longform content, creators cultivate and nurture a community that flocks to them for their specific niche. If RU-vid somehow crashes or shuts down or changes, these creators can very well move to another platform while maintaining the same audience base. With this type of "content", you are making nothing of your own. None of your own dances, songs, even showing off your personality. No community is created around who you are besides maybe your looks, which will fade with time. What are these kids going to do when they're 27 and start to get wrinkles? Or aren't the next newest, youngest, prettiest thing? What are they going to do when the advertisers at TikTok and their marketing teams refresh the platform, and change the algorithm to suit longform content, or original creation? This lacks foresight entirely, and is a decision that could only be made by those who are doomed to never fully mature. The people who are really smart, who really SHOULD be doing this, are those in the documentary who are using TikTok as supplemental income, actually creating original content of notability, or as launch boards for secondary careers. edit: if you're about to comment "who gets wrinkles at 27": www.realsimple.com/beauty-fashion/skincare/types-of-wrinkles

As a Gen Z, I'm disappointed at my own generation. It's sad, honestly

This sh*t is cringe. Im so glad i got addicted to drugs instead of tiktok.

Getting this in my feed when there is news of potential ban on Tiktok in US.

Honestly, these so called "INFLUENCERS" are influencing the society into wrong direction. Education is important not just for a person's benefit but also for the society's benefit.

I’m not into TikTok but from what I’ve seen, the best content is from people who have careers and share their skills on the platform, like cobblers, or chefs. I’ve never understood the appeal of generic people just being good looking and making posts of themselves…existing…

Excellent opportunity to get the insider's perspective, great documentary, thanks!

As a 15yo girl, I'm genuinely worried for our future omfg- like, this kind of lifestyle practices artificial mindset and ignorance which CAN BE DANGEROUS I really hope that social media will not corrupt me and end like them in the future ://

vice should do a follow-up about these kids in 5 years. I wonder if social media propels them to new success and new heights of fame or destroys their mental health. I am guessing the latter.

Anyone who grew up in LA can tell you this has been happening since the myspace days even. So many kids at my high school dropped out because they were going to be a rockstar or a dj, or they were popular on mypsace for being attractive, or they wanted to be a movie star and we were right by Hollywood. Very few of them have had lasting careers. Although I do know some exceptions.

Here for the comments after TikTok ban.

Interviewer: Would you consider yourself an Influencer? Me: Yeah, I think so. I was the first kid in my neighborhood to get Guitar Hero. And depression. So, I went to my Dr and asked him what it was ailing me? "Is it Influencer Doc?" "No, it's Influenza, like sick"

Definitely a short term plan. They'll make a ton of cash when they're young, but like all child stars, they'll likely fall into irrelevance. And from there, they'll either find a new purpose or spiral into depression.

people like kiera are refreshing. speaking honestly about the lack of love and passion she has for her job, and having further goals outside of social media. good for her, im glad to see some people being extremely realistic towards the life they live now.

Why do they have to move to LA to do this? Isn't part of the whole internet celeb thing that you can do it from anywhere?

Blame in the proper order: 1) Their parents for failing 2) the idiots for watching their garbage 3) the greedy investors for propping up this garbage app

Kudos to the interviewer for being non judgmental, charismatic, and asking the right questions. It felt more like a dad being genuinely curious about what his kids are doing which was refreshing to see and was the right approach for this video.

We need fabricators , engineers, warriors , architects , and more. Not “influencers” influencers is a danger to society

seeing how everyone in this vid has actually thought about their future, passion about being an influencer, or simply the industry's future is going to be like, it really illustrates how uncertain the future of gen z is... and tbh, it's kinda scary, but at the same time feeling like standing at crossroads and watching all these happening

They're not influencers, they're just models for selling products. Get off social media kids.

I honestly can’t blame myself for being an introvert and not wanting attention. Social media is trippy.

As somebody who is 21 years old (who lives in the USA and is of a similar age to these people) it is frustrating to realize that many in my generation are selling their individual personalities, interests, and any sense of morality for the so-called "success" of being famous on TikTok. And also remember that Tik Tok is a social media company that promotes "trends" that have injured some people, or are simply meaningless to everyday life.

I've never liked TikTok, never understood it, never downloaded it and will never download it, but I've got mad respect for those young adults working there providing content... Because, they work longer and harder than I've ever done in any salaried job. When they're literary working 24/7 on the content they produce, then they've earned both my respect and the income they make.

i love this guy's dry humor sense

This interviewer has really good charisma, he’s connecting with each person and getting them real comfortable. Super friendly

The more you spend time on social media and seeking validation the more depressed you will be.

Tik tok being banned will be funny af 😂😂😂😂

a good exercise to put the old conditioning and judgment aside and watch in fascination how everything is constantly moving and changing

I can already see the affects of this on the younger generation I work at a small private school and although some kids are restricted from social media by their parents and are behaving like kids, others seem to have access to it and would already be behaving like "influencers" There's this girl who has a toy cellphone and would pretend to be an influencer and "film" herself dancing with her friends. Its actually very cute to see but knowing how much of an impact TikTok/Instagram has on kids is scary. Especially since kids under 13 seem to have access to it when we all know they're not supposed to There's this girl who is 11 years old and is constantly on TikTok (as a viewer, not creator) even stays up late to watch it which results her in coming late to school She is very rude, does not really respect authorities and will talk to the adults casually like we’re her bff. She misses a lot of days of school and never complets her homework. Her jokes are also pretty inappropriate Worst thing is, she actually been recently diagnosed with ADHD and my GOD she been so...happy abt it and bragging she has it and would always use that as an excuse as to why she can't do her work or help out with anything "Hey can you help me carry this?" "Can't, I have ADHD" "Why didn't you finish the assignment?" "I have ADHD" 😵‍💫

I'd love a 1 year, where are they now video.

I’m just here after congress announcing a possible tik tok ban. Lolz

As a millennial I feel like such a boomer right now.