Tik Tok Stars on the Rise
TikTok has changed the lives of many teenagers, for the good and the bad.
The popular short-video app known as TikTok has changed the lives of many ordinary teenagers. Charli D’amelio was an everyday 15 year old girl who went viral for a dance she posted on TikTok called “Renegade,” to the song Lottery by K Camp. She gained millions of followers overnight from this because of her dancing videos and her appearances with people all around the world.
Chase Hudson, also known as “Lil Huddy”, is a 17 year old boy who went viral for his e-boy debut in his videos back in September of 2019. He caught the attention of many teenage girls for his looks and presentation. He gained thousands of followers, then recently hit 8.9 million on TikTok.
These are two of the most popular figures on TikTok, also known as “The Hype” of TikTok. They are so popular that they moved into a house together in Los Angeles, California with 19 other TikTok stars. They call it “The Hype House.” The lives of these famous TikTok stars have been altered forever due to their newfound, viral fame.
Charli D’amelio is from Norwalk, Connecticut where she lives with her parents Heidi and Marc D’amelio and her older sister Dixie. Charli’s life has changed drastically the last few months. She has over 16 million followers and 666.4 million likes on TikTok. For only being 15 years old, this is a huge accomplishment for her. Although she is loved by many and receives tons of support and love from her fans, she also receives a great deal of hate. She posted a video this past December talking about how hard it is to read through her comments, which are frequently filled with hate, but that she keeps her head up and acts like it doesn’t bother her.
Reagan Blanding, a junior at Lafayette High School, is in the prime target audience of these social media stars. In her opinion, “Charli is a great dancer and makes everything look so easy, and she dresses so cute! People honestly only hate on her because they’re jealous of her, and they wish they could do what she does. I wish girls would stop degrading other girls and bring them up more on social media.” Blanding went on to say, “Charli seems like she would be such a fun person to be around.”
Charli definitely didn’t expect to receive constant hate in her TikTok and Instagram comments, but that’s the harsh reality of fame. Her older sister Dixie, 18, has become a popular figure on TikTok as well, and joined “The Hype House” residents. The sisters are currently the most popular teenagers on social media.
Chase Hudson, better known as “Lil Huddy,” was born and raised in Stockton, California. He lives with his parents Tamora and Cole Hudson and his two sisters Marlena and Karissa. Chase has over 9 million fans on TikTok, which all started with his popular lip syncing videos and e-boy vibe. Chase has collaborated with many popular TikTok stars in ‘The Hype House.” He has made videos with Charli D’amelio, Addison Easterling, and many more.
Not long after he joined The Hype House, there were suggestions of Chase Hudson and Charli D’amelio dating. There seems to be no problem with this possible relationship, considering they are only two years apart in age, however there have been several accounts and websites saying Chase is actually 18 and that he has been lying to the media about his age.
Being two of the most influential teenagers on TikTok, this news spread quickly. Chase had posted several videos of himself reassuring his fans of his birthday and that he was only 17, considering Charli D’amelio is only 15 years old. Although both TikTok stars reassured their fans that they were “just friends” in multiple videos on their accounts, the videos of them holding hands, hugging, and nearly kissing in their “Hype House” vlogs have shown the media otherwise. Not knowing the answer to this question has been driving fans crazy, so crazy that they’ve made their own stories and evidence of the relationship.
Thomas Mclaughlin, a senior at Lafayette High School, has strong opinions about the Charli D’amelio and Chase Hudson scandal. “Charli and Chase are definitely dating, no doubt about it. They constantly make videos together at “The Hype House”, and they act like a couple. If they are dating, I think Charli could do so much better than Chase.” Mclaughlin continued, “Chase makes TikToks with a lot of girls too, like Addison Easterling who’s also super popular on TikTok.”
Some people say that Chase is a clout chaser or attention-getter, meaning he will do anything for fame or attention. There are several rumors about Chase using TikTok stars for the fame, but no clear evidence this is true. Chase Hudson is a huge TikTok star, but will he keep his fame?
Charli and all the members of “The Hype House” have had life-changing experiences beccause of their skyrocketing fame, for the good and the bad. They have become some of the most influential teenagers in the world, all because of a few short-videos they made. These teenagers have owned the hype of TikTok for several months now, until it is eventually passed onto someone else. Emily Sullivan, a Lafayette High School junior, told the ledger that she thinks Charli and “The Hype House” members will carry the hype for a while. “The Hype House members have millions of fans, and they aren’t likely to stop watching their videos any time soon. If anything, they’re all becoming funnier and more popular day by day. The hype isn’t just going to die overnight; it’ll take something serious to get their millions of fans to stop supporting them,” said Sullivan. These kids are living proof that fame can come easy, and that it can be turned into so much more than we expected. They may have all the hype right now, but will these 19 teenagers carry the hype of TikTok forever?
