Chasing Clout, Losing Yourself.

If you ask me, I honestly don't think going to extreme lengths just to go viral is worth it, every time I scroll through social media these days, I see people doing things that make me ask myself, Was this really necessary ? Sometimes it's dangerous stunts, sometimes it's fake pranks, and other times it's things that could even land someone in trouble with the law, all for views, likes, and a few days of internet fame.

I get it though, the internet has changed a lot of lives, one viral video can bring money, brand deals, thousands of followers, and opportunities that someone never imagined, we have seen ordinary people become celebrities overnight because of one video that blew up.

So I understand why people chase that dream, but for me, there has to be a limit, no amount of views is worth losing your life over, no amount of followers is worth ending up in prison because of content, and no amount of money is worth putting innocent people in danger just so your video can trend for two or three days.

Sometimes I watch some of these challenges and honestly wonder what goes through people's minds before they press the record button, you will see someone climbing dangerous buildings without safety equipment, another person is disturbing strangers in public just to get reactions.

Someone else is damaging property because they think it is funny content, at that point, I don't even see creativity anymore.

I just see unnecessary risk, the funny thing is that people often remember the successful stories, they will point to one creator who took a risk and became famous, but they hardly talk about the people who got seriously injured, lost their lives, or ended up facing criminal charges because the stunt went wrong.

Social media does not always show those stories as much, as content creators, I think it is good to think beyond the views, you ask yourself one simple question, If this video goes wrong, will it still be worth it? If the answer is no, then maybe it is not content that should be made in the first place.

For me , I believe good content does not always have to be dangerous, some of the best creators built their audience through consistency, originality, humour, education, or storytelling,
they didn't have to risk their lives to get people to pay attention, it might have taken them longer, but they built something that could actually last.

I think another problem is the pressure to always outdo yourself, a creator posts one crazy video and it gets millions of views, now the audience expects something even crazier next time.

Before long, the creator keeps pushing the limits because they are afraid people will stop watching, that cycle can become very dangerous.

At the end of the day, going viral is nice, everybody wants their work to be seen and appreciated, there is nothing wrong with wanting success, but success should not come at the cost of your safety, your freedom, or your integrity ..... for me, I would rather grow slowly doing something I can be proud of than become famous overnight because of something reckless, the internet may celebrate you today, but if something goes wrong, those same people will simply move on to the next trending topic.

Your life, however, is the one you will have to live with, so no, I don't think there is any reward that justifies risking your life or doing something foolish simply to go viral.

Some opportunities are worth chasing, but not at the expense of your future, because when all the likes and comments disappear, your life is still yours to live.

Image Credit : ChatGpt