TikTok star Addison Rae has explained why it’s difficult for influencers to be held up as role models given they have to project the “perfect life” to followers even if it’s going wrong.
The rise of TikTok has helped created a new crop of mainstream stars with the likes of Charli & Dixie D’Amelio, Addison Rae, and Bryce Hall leading the charge.
Given how young TikTok skews in terms of creators and users, those new stars are being thrust into the spotlight at a young age, with millions of people following their every move and dissecting their day-to-day lives.
Of course, that can be incredibly tough, but plenty of followers hold these creators up as their role models. However, in the case of Addison Rae, she believes that it’s hard for the stars to actually live up to that tag.
The 20-year-old, who has 88 million followers on TikTok and a further 38 million on Instagram, pointed out the similarities between her own life and her new role in the ‘He’s All That’ movie, especially how influencers have to portray the “perfect life” to followers regardless of how things are going.
“I think people go through life feeling like they have to uphold this certain standard and maybe don’t always hold up to it,” Rae said to Entertainment Tonight ahead of the movie’s premiere. “It’s really difficult to kind of keep that away from everyone.
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“She really finds herself, and I think it’s a really cool thing. I can relate to that, you know, feeling like you always have to uphold this standard of like ‘I have the perfect life! Everything I share is great!’ And everyone has to see me as this, you know, perfect example, and I think it’s really difficult sometimes, but at the end of the day it’s really about finding people that love you and understand you and can also bring out the best in you and who you truly are.”
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While fame, of course, has its perks, the TikToker has continually talked about the negatives it also has. She even had to sell her car because it was instantly recognizable to the paparazzi.
Once the genie is out of the bottle, though, it’s hard to put it back in, but as many have shown, there are ways to deal with the increased pressure. And, as Addison says, it’s about being true to yourself.