Jojo Siwa has been a prominent presence on the internet for almost all of Gen Z’s childhood. As a child star, she took on an easily marketable persona. But as she has struggled to move into the adult world, the effects of social media and the role they play on her self perception and identity are being exposed through her struggle to find herself.
From being known first for her bright bows and flamboyant attitude, to now adopting the self-proclaimed title “CEO of gay pop” and being one of the internet’s most cocky influencers, Jojo Siwa has taken on extreme after extreme when it comes to her personality and branding. “She definitely is having an identity crisis,” said senior Brynn Kanwischer. “Considering she went from being a pageant girl and dancer, to the ‘bad girl’ and now is having a sexuality crisis, I believe that being online has affected the way Jojo presents herself and acts.”
Jojo has seemingly lived for the internet’s opinion, for good or bad, since she was a child. This performative act could have been detrimental to her mental health, as during some of the most influential years of her life she was spending time holding onto her child-like branding instead of finding herself. “It was only until she was 18 or 19 that she was able to remove herself from that image by coming out as gay and then using gay labels from social media to identify herself,” said senior Gabi Ragins.
For Jojo, her life has never been private. Her time on Dance Moms and years spent on tour, encouraged by her mother, put a spotlight on her day to day life. This resulted in extreme judgement and bullying from the internet throughout her youth.
While it’s not determined whether these judgements are justified, it is certain that the judgement from social media has shaped Jojo’s online presence and search for an identity.
The negativity, however, has not stopped Jojo from grasping for online attention. She often acts as though it is normal for the whole world to know the entirety of her life from her personal struggles to relationship status.
It is important to note that Jojo is fresh off the hit reality TV series “Big Brother,” which aired more of her personal life struggles. This led to the end of her relationship with her previous partner, Kath Ebbs, due to a seemingly suspicious friendship with Chris Hughes, another member of the “Big Brother” house.
Once again, the internet is speculating on what issues the now 21-year-old pop star may be exhibiting as a result of her previous internet experiences.
Jojo Siwa is an extreme product of the long term consequences of early internet exposure. As the first generation to experience a strong online presence from a young age, the effects of social media are only just starting to show. “Social media has welded our society to impact young people who are trying to find out who they are. This is difficult for teenagers like us who grew up with social media because it takes time away from finding out who we are when we aren’t performing or showing off for others,” added Ragins.
With the potential harm social media can bring to young minds, it is crucial that society doesn’t turn a blind eye to the problems that arise from the internet.
