Hype house series series#

If anything, I feel more terminally online now than ever before. At nearly 22 years old, my social media obsession-and the niche spaces of the Internet I occupy-remains something I never grew out of. Throughout the past decade, I built online communities through a variety of unique shared interests (televised talent competitions, WWE women’s wrestling, Anthony Fantano and other music critics, mindless drama between YouTubers, and Dance Moms, to name a few). Over the years, some networks have exited my social media repertoire (RIP Vine, Stuyvesant High School’s Facebook-centric social ecosystem, and the extensive catalog of amateur gay porn found on Tumblr) while others have entered my carefully constructed online world (shoutout to TikTok, Yale University’s Twitter-centric social ecosystem, and the extensive catalog of amateur gay porn found on Twitter). I got my first iPod Touch at 12 years old, and my addiction to television was immediately supplemented by a healthy dose of escapism provided by the social media multiverse of Tumblr, YouTube, Facebook, AO3, Vine, and even Google+.

Hype house series series#

Parents may find the series a useful starting point for discussing the pitfalls of online stardom with teens, but the show won't fully teach that lesson on its own.Similar to Aster and Holly, I self-identify as terminally online. Yet, no one is really willing to take a deeper look into their own lives or to walk away. The result is a muddied tale without much depth, giving the viewer the general impression that none of the cast members are very happy, despite their fame and riches. Cast members' struggles with divvying up household chores and deciding who to invite to their house parties are spliced with such serious issues as depression, suicidal ideation, and the house being accused of whitewashing their only Black member.

For every discussion of the stress, exhaustion, and even loneliness of the influencers featured in Hype House, there's a flashy scene highlighting their luxury toys and multimillion-dollar homes. The behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to become - and remain - a TikTok star will be enlightening to some, but it fails to delve deep enough into the constant mental and physical demands put on its stars. Profanity is common 'f-k' and 's-t' are bleeped out. Another cast member primarily posts videos with his shirt off that are meant to be sexy. Roughhousing sometimes turns to hitting, but violence is minimal. Cast members sometimes argue and play pranks on each other. Relationships are discussed and shown with hand-holding, light kissing, and talk of getting engaged. Consumerism is rampant, and emphasis is placed on needing to look good on camera. Cast members speak about issues including cancel culture, being bullied, abuse, homelessness, mental illness, and suicidal ideation.

Accepting people of all backgrounds, races, and sexual identities is a core value of the house, which is made up of many people who felt they didn't fit in growing up. Being on screens all day and posting near constant social media content is glorified, but the stress of living life mainly to achieve likes on social media is also depicted. Parents need to know that Hype House is a reality show depicting the behind-the-scenes lives of TikTok stars who live together in an over-the-top luxury home paid for by the online content they create.