In a lot of ways, Charli D'Amelio represents a lot of what's wrong with social media and the Internet as a whole. However, it's not her fault—it's ours. We should be ashamed of ourselves, as members of society, that we let Charli amass that kind of following by dancing in front of a phone. The content she's producing isn't necessarily the problem though...
1. She's 15.
It's obvious how she has grown such a huge following on TikTok, and it's definitely not because she's funny. Take a look at your "For You" page, and you'll see that teenage girls throwing it back for strangers on the Internet has become a societal norm. Then, you'll notice that Charli's most popular TikToks involve a 15-year-old girl throwing it back for strangers on the Internet.
2. She's 15.
Charli isn't doing anything wrong—but the 30 million people following her are making some questionable decisions, particularly in regard to the 15-year-old girl throwing it back for strangers on the Internet. Especially since the 15-year-old girl that's throwing it back for strangers on the Internet is frequently seen wearing nothing but earrings and a crop top.
3. She's 15.
The 15-year-old girl that's throwing it back for strangers on the Internet is more than just a girl that's throwing it back for strangers on the Internet—but that's really all we know her for. She has talents other than throwing it back for strangers on the Internet, but she doesn't get nearly as much support for her other endeavors. The main problem I have with this is that we're creating a culture in which it's okay for 15-year-old girls to throw it back for strangers on the Internet in order to gain a following.
In essence, stop sexualizing 15-year-old girls, and maybe they wouldn't have to resort to throwing it back for strangers on the Internet to create a fan base. What does that say about us as a society?
