Is Going Viral the Same As Being Seen? An Essay

There is, however, a disconnect between how visible a piece of content can become and what happens to the creator behind it. It reveals something about the way the Internet values creative work. There is a missed opportunity when the industries benefiting from Internet culture don’t look more closely at the people creating it. Creators shape music, fashion, language, humor, beauty, and the way brands themselves learn to communicate online. We aren’t only “influencers.” If a creator repeatedly makes things that people want to imitate, remix, quote, or participate in, there is intelligence behind that, even when the original idea looks effortless. Maybe industry recognition should not simply mean putting that creator’s username in the caption after something goes viral. Maybe it means asking who made the thing, what they understood about culture that allowed it to travel so far, and whether that person belongs in the room when you’re deciding how to reach the same audience. Brands, media companies, music labels, and other institutions have the resources to pay attention to who is actually shaping the culture they are constantly trying to participate in.