In the mid-2000s, platforms like Facebook, Vine, and YouTube gained popularity; in turn, users began casually documenting snippets of their lives, showcasing their talents, and sharing humorous moments. It was an era of social media driven by a sense of fun and connection and sharing for the sheer enjoyment of it. We couldn’t have known the groundwork was being laid for what would eventually evolve into the phenomenon of social media influencers today.
Devale Ellis, his wife Khadeen, and their four boys epitomize the millennial genre of social media influencers. Through their YouTube channel, “The Ellises,” allowed followers into their lives. With their relatable and transparent dynamic, hilarious family vlogs, and impeccable style, the Brooklyn-bred couple captivated audiences. Viewers joined them on date nights, tagged along on their coast-to-coast move, and even shared the intimate experience of their son’s home birth. In turn, followers included them in their daily lives — the Ellises’ content played the background at work, at the gym, and while cleaning the house. Today, millions of followers extend support to Devale and Khadeen’s individual pursuits. What began as a humble family vlog has become an empire.
Some debate the effects on both sides of such parasocial relationships, but those of us born pre-social media know that this type of fandom is nothing new. Eighties babies and 90s kids spent hours immersed in music videos, memorizing choreography, rehearsing dance moves, and reciting the rhymes of our favorite rappers. We anticipated the airing of our weekly sitcoms, recycling the funniest punchlines at school lunchroom tables the next day. Magazine clippings of our celebrity obsessions lined our adolescent bedroom walls. An elder millennial himself, Devale Ellis understands as well as anyone— ain’t nothing changed but the…
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