Ever wondered what it’s like to be famous? Well, there’s an app for that. It’s called Hype Simulator—and no, it’s not one of those fake-follower-boosting schemes. The ultra-viral app hit number one on the US App Store this week, and I couldn’t help but give it a try.
Here’s how it works: upon downloading the app, you get to choose between being a celebrity or going viral and create a fake account on the app with a new username, photo and bio. Hype Simulator doesn’t use any of your personal profiles, nor does it function within other social media platforms like Instagram or Twitter. Within seconds, your simulated profile will be flooded with new followers notifications, hundreds of DMs and feedback from endless fake accounts. You’ll really know what it feels like to be a celebrity, or have a video go viral overnight—but only for fifteen minutes.
Naturally, I decided to jump on the bandwagon and dive right into this dystopian experience. Here’s what I learned along the way.
Having lot of DMs is actually more stressful than fun
Every time you blink, there’s hundreds of new messages to sort through. To say it’s overwhelming is an understatement.
Having fans is kind of fun
Getting messages like “You’re my idol” and “I am your biggest fan” lowkey put a smile on my face.
When thousands of strangers want to know personal stuff about you, it feels invasive
Having a fandom means there’s someone constantly practically spying on you. That might be fun on the fans’ side, but certainly the person in question can feel somewhat attacked when complete strangers are trying to uncover all their secrets.
If you’re a celebrity, social media can be a really lonely place
When you’re flooded with notifications from an exuberant number of accounts and you have no idea about who they are or what they do, this leaves you feeling pretty disconnected and lonely.
Boatloads of admiration in the comment sections are not all that flattering
Yes, a thousand strangers might be talking about how amazing you look in a photo, but it’s hard to take it in past face-value.
