TikTok has exploded in popularity over the last year, with numerous celebrities being born on the video platform. Keeping up with millions of followers across multiple social media platforms is not always an easy task, and 17-year-old Charli D’Amelio recently sat down with her sister Dixie to talk about the insecurities she’s formed after working on the Internet for an extended period of time. Candidly, “it’s hard.”
The TikTok star made an appearance on Dixie D’Amelio’s YouTube show The Early Late Night Show to talk about her rise to TikTok fame -- where she is allegedly the second-highest earner on the platform. She also used the time to talk about how it’s hard for her to feel as if she’s in a positive space these days, at least where it comes to the platform that made her a star.
I feel like when you have opportunities that are so amazing, but then an entire world of critiques for your every move, it’s very difficult to find enjoyment in things that are being torn down so much. It’s extremely difficult to want to continue doing something that people say how much they hate and it’s hard. It doesn’t feel like it used to where there was collaborations and fun and everyone was friends. Now it’s like, everyone’s trying to beat each other and it’s like, that doesn’t make sense to me and that’s not why I started TikTok. I started TikTok because I was making fun dance videos with my friends and now it’s this whole competition.
In general, fun dance videos are the reason a lot of people got onto TikTok, but the video content has really expanded out from there. Celebrities from other platforms have gotten involved. “Truth Hurts” singer Lizzo likes to talk about her feelings there and Cameron Diaz once started a wine drinking challenge, but Charli D’Amelio also says the fans don’t get to see the hard, demanding work that goes into being a TikTok star. She told Dixie she “kind of need[s] to find that thing” that makes her happy and she’s just not there yet.
There’s a lot of stuff that goes on behind the scenes that not everyone gets to see. A lot of long set days, a lot of long photoshoots, business calls, talking to companies and brands and things like that. Trying to help them while they help me. Everyone kind of has their thing and I haven’t really found mine yet.
Ultimately, Charli D’Amelio is 17-years-old. She’s talking about marketing plans and business calls and all sorts of things needed to build herself into a brand, which is all very admirable if she wants it, but it’s also a lot of pressure. As of now, it seems as if she’s taking a few days off, with her last video being posted nearly a week ago on TikTok.
@charlidamelio
She wouldn’t be the first big name to need a break. Josh Brolin took some time off Instagram for a few months earlier this year. Plus, a lot of big name celebrities have completely left social media, including Star Wars lead Daisy Ridley, because it can be a negative space. As D’Amelio’s sister even told her, she has to figure out what she wants to do that makes her happy. That’s really all anyone can ask for.
