A scroll through any form of high school social media for five minutes will find girls doing “get ready with me” before school, guys posting about their latest car projects, or upperclassmen giving underclassmen advice. High school microinfluencers are taking over in the subtlest of ways. They’re not celebrities with millions of followers, but they do have something that matters to a larger audience; Real connection.

Microinfluencers are generally described as individuals that have between 1,000 to 50,000 followers on any given platform. With lower follower counts and local mutuals, they shape trends and opinions amongst young adults without even realizing it.

From beauty and fashion trends, to mental health and fitness, social media has been known for showcasing its unrealistic standards. However, high school influencers have taken a different approach and are focusing mainly on authenticity and showing their personalities.

Senior Ava Thompson regularly creates content to post on her TikTok @avat188. She makes day in the life videos, follows trends, and documents her day as a way to have memories.

“I love looking back on memories me and my friends have had and fun experiences we’ve done together,” Thompson said. “I do it more for myself to have and look back on later.”

What sets microinfluencers apart from regular creators is their ability to be relatable. Unlike typical influencers, they are people that share hallways and experiences. It comes across as authentic, and relatability as well as authenticity are two highly valued traits across social media.

“I don’t really have a vibe I want people to feel when they watch my videos,” Thompson said. “I just hope it’s entertaining to watch and they don’t take it too seriously.”

Being influential in high school comes with its own challenges. There could be little separation between personal and public life, which leaves room for criticism and unnecessary stress, especially if what’s being posted is personal.

Senior Derek Reick-Capellan creates content by livestreaming and making fun TikToks about.

“At first I was hesitant but I have grown to try to be myself and not care what everyone else thinks,” Capellan said.

Running an account requires creativity, communication, and loads of time management. Some influencers decide to pursue partnerships with small brands or businesses in order to promote themselves and their new partners. With this, some see the opportunity to increase their skills in video editing, photography, and even marketing. It can be helpful for high schoolers to find these skills and talents and use it to their advantage in the future.

“I wouldn’t be opposed to continuing it on the side,” Thompson said. “I do plan to go to college to get a degree and later a job, but I can see myself still posting on social media for fun.”

Teens aren’t in it just for the popularity or brand deals, but because it’s something they are passionate about or enjoy as a hobby.

“I think it would be cool to collaborate with a brand and get free stuff but it’s not my goal,” Thompson said. “I more so use social media as a space to post fun things and memories, not necessarily gain followers or likes.”

Capellan also feels similarly with the topic of expressing himself.

“I really enjoy interacting with people that I don’t know,” Capellan said. “It’s different behind the screen because people can be more expressive.”

Sports photographers and videographers are also considered content creators. They make sure that moments are captured at various school events and are posted for people to see.

Freshman Ethan Dixon runs his own photography business through Instagram, and in order to put content out, a majority of his time is spent balancing his pursuit on top of school.

“I edit like twice a week and it takes around two hours,” Dixon said. “Sometimes it interferes with school but most of the time I try to get my homework done before that.”

There is an endless amount of creative possibilities for content creators, but choosing to do it for their own enjoyment and not at the benefit of others is what sets them apart from typical influencers.