Do you want to be an Internet celebrity?

By Kylie Turner

Becoming a celebrity has become more accessible to the public through the instantaneous world-wide connection of the Internet.

Social media platforms have the ability to connect the like-minded. These platforms allow individuals to share videos, pictures and thoughts online. Users can select the content they wish to share and who can view it.

YouTube is one of these mediums. From site statistics, there are one billion active users monthly. Active users can connect, share content and gain publicity based on views or likes.

Daniel Beliciu, a psychology professor at the University of Windsor, said deep down everyone wants to be noticed.

“We are driven by urges and from a psychological standpoint, many of us have different motivations that drive these urges for us to be popular or known,” said Beliciu. “This is a new phenomenon in psychology really beginning to explode in the research sense.”

He said the Internet is a medium for individuals to share their knowledge. It is a way to showcase, market and advertise their talents.

Local YouTuber Jesse Garant, 22, has been on YouTube for seven months and posts at least one gaming video a day. Currently he has 1,400 subscribers and 160,000 views on his account.

“When I was a kid, I was never passionate about anything,” said Garant. “I wanted to be a musician, I wanted to be a singer, but it was not realistic and I didn’t have a good voice. For the first time I felt good about something.”

People have used YouTube as a platform to become famous since it was launched in 2005. In 2008, Justin Bieber, a singer and musician from Stratford, was noticed by a talent manager from his YouTube videos covering songs. These videos were posted by his mother and because of them he is now a known public artist.

Garant said he might get noticed and be and able to use his YouTube experience to become a commentator or announcer. He said he doesn’t think anyone is like him on YouTube and just likes to have fun with it.

Others who have become celebrities because of YouTube include Psy, Michelle Phan, Charice, Carly Rae Jepsen and Grammy winners Pentatonix.