Blogroll

Brooklyn Frost is only 21, but has appeared in YouTube videos since her early teens. Initially acting as supporting cast for her brother Deshae, Frost quickly grew her own following after launching her YouTube channel in 2019. Her videos range from vlogs and lifestyle content to fashion and beauty, pranks, and even some gaming. Frost's unfiltered authenticity has gained her a significant fan base, with 2.3 million followers on TikTok, 1.3 million on Instagram, and 1.08 million subscribers on YouTube. 

She has 646,000 followers on Twitch as well, despite only joining the platform in 2024. Attracted to the livestreaming platform due to its focus on real-time interaction with her audience, Frost's first-ever Twitch sub-a-thon earned her 10,000 subscribers in 25 days. Apparently not one to rest on her laurels, Frost also ventured into the music scene that same year, releasing her debut single "Letter to You."

Twitch and the gaming communities on YouTube aren't known for being particularly female-friendly, but Gab Smolders is a wonderful reprieve from the boys' club.

The Dutch-born streamer is a horror lover, playing through scary series such as Fatal Frame and Resident Evil, both of which feature female protagonists. Watching Smolders play through a game, her deep knowledge of gaming, horror lore, and Japanese culture (she lived for several years in Japan) quickly becomes apparent. Her joy in playing comes through, too; she clearly loves introducing games and characters to her audience.

Smolders' gaming bona fides certainly contributed to her 400,000-plus followers on Twitch and 150,000 on YouTube.

Her interests extend beyond games, though; she’s a voracious reader, sharing reviews of horror titles on YouTube.

“I read eight books in January, seven books in February,” Smolders declared on a recent episode of her Horror Book Talk series. “In my defense, I was very sick for February, and I just could not for the life of me focus with a head full of snot.”

A creator who advocates reading books and who really knows her stuff? Game on.

Daniel Howell and Phil Lester rose to prominence as a pair after launching their joint gaming YouTube channel in 2014, building a large, loyal fanbase through their relatability, chemistry, and fun, feel-good vibes. The British YouTubers have since accumulated 3.1 million subscribers on YouTube, as well as 442,400 followers on TikTok, and 250,000 on Instagram.

After going on hiatus in 2018, Dan and Phil returned with a vengeance in 2023, delighting fans and cementing their position as one of YouTube's most famous duos. In 2025, the pair rebranded their YouTube channel from DanAndPhilGAMES to Dan and Phil, and launched comedy podcast Hard Launch with Dan and Phil. They also made waves by publicly revealing that they've been in a romantic relationship since they first met in 2009, finally confirming over a decade of fan speculation.

Like peanut butter and jelly, Brooke Averick and Connor Wood don’t seem like a natural combination at first, but somehow the partnership just works.

On Brooke & Connor Make a Podcast, the former roommates and current friends riff on their lives and pop culture — nothing revolutionary, but the discussions are all very relatable and very funny. You can hear them chat about the smells of New Jersey, the intricacies of relieving yourself in space, and the magnetism of AI-generated anthromorphised fruit.

Averick and Wood’s easy rapport has made them social media stars, with each clocking about a million followers on TikTok (Averick's handle is, memorably @ladyefron, while Wood's comedy moniker is @fibulaa). The BCMAP duo is also expanding their universe, booking live stage shows, and branching out with solo ventures.

Averick, 29, is releasing her debut novel, Phoebe Berman’s Gonna Lose It, in May. The novel highlights a young and anxious woman, not too far removed from Berman’s own personality. Wood, a 30-year-old rising star on the stand-up circuit, just extended his debut Fibs & Friends comedy tour, adding new dates to meet growing demand.

Averick and Wood’s solo successes are well-deserved; we just hope they don’t break up our favorite PB&J.

At just 34 years old, Ziwe Fumudoh has already had an impressive career. She’s written for Stephen Colbert and the late-night show Desus and Mero, co-hosted Crooked Media’s Hysteria podcast, has had bylines in The New Yorker, Vulture, The Daily Dot, and Reductress (to name just a few), published a book of essays called Black Friend, and has developed a handful of comedy shows that she also hosts. And that’s not even the full resumé.

Known to her fans and followers as simply Ziwe, the Massachusetts-born writer, comedian, and host now lives in New York.

Included on her long list of accomplishments is Showtime variety series Ziwe, which ran from 2021 to 2022. After the show was canceled, Fumudoh pivoted to YouTube with the newly titled Iconic Guest, a satirical and irreverent series where she interviews noteworthy guests. She's put New York Mayor Eric Adams, actor Kevin Hart, disgraced politician George Santos, TV icon Tiffany Pollard, rapper and actor Vince Staples, and The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt in the hot seat.

Pulling at the threads of entertainers, politicians, reality TV stars, and other figures, Iconic Guest sees Fumudoh presenting in a similar vein to The Daily Show and the now-defunct Colbert Report or Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. There are genuine and heartfelt interviews within the series as well, including sit-downs with fellow comedians (Leslie Jones, Adam Pally), but Fumudoh still keeps the tone playful.

Fumudoh’s audience has continued to grow over the past year, landing her north of 500,000 YouTube subscribers, 1.2 million followers on TikTok, and 1 million followers on Instagram, with most of her clips going viral — if you haven't seen Ziwe's interview with Jinkx Monsoon, you're missing out.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

With over 2.4 million followers on TikTok and 638,000 followers on Instagram, Yasmine Sahid might be one of the most familiar faces on the internet. Fans may have seen her imitating Jasper from Twilight, all five members of One Direction, or pretty much any nostalgic figure from our chronically online past.

Sahid’s range is not limited to just her social media content: she’s also an actor, singer, comedian, and podcast host.

Sahid told The Bright Side podcast she first started posting videos to social media after struggling to find acting work in Los Angeles — and that she first went viral after posting a video of herself singing Cardi B’s “WAP” in four-part harmony in 2020.

Since then, Sahid has not only rapidly grown her social media platform but has also taken on new opportunities, including a role in the Amazon Prime series Overcompensating, which premiered in May 2025.

She’s also hosted several red carpet events, such as a TikTok livestream during the 96th Oscars in 2024 and the AvA Awards in January 2026. She also just recently attended the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special premiere and the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards in March.

This year, we can expect to see more of Sahid not only at the biggest premieres and award shows, but also on television and in the music industry. Back in May, she released her own rendition of “Old Devil Moon” on YouTube.

She’s also voiced support for the nonprofit Girls Make Beats, which encourages women to pursue careers in music production and audio engineering.

Sahid said she’s also working on a show she plans on pitching soon, as well as a play that she plans on producing, according to Authority Magazine. While we might not know Sahid’s next move, we do know one thing for sure: We won’t be bored.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

Whether you're into reality TV or musical theater, you likely know about Whitney Leavitt. But before the 33-year-old was on our (medium) screens and the stage, Leavitt was a MomTok star, gaining prominence as a Mormon mom posting through lockdown just like many other mothers — and the rest of us, too.

In 2024, Leavitt became a main cast member on Hulu's The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, and, just two years later, she has transcended her "villain" persona on the show.

She's boogied on Dancing With The Stars and made her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in Chicago shortly after. All the while, Leavitt is still on TikTok, where she has 3.6 million followers, and she also has millions (1.9 to be exact) following her on Instagram, too. On social media, you'll find Leavitt performing skits with her costars, sharing her skin care routine with fans, and promoting a dirty soda brand, proving she hasn't strayed too far from her Utah roots.

In addition to all the other roles on her roster, like reality TV personality and Broadway star, Leavitt has also recently become the chief creative and brand officer of Cool Sips, a dirty soda shop in New York.

But Leavitt hasn't departed much from her MomTok days; she still posts videos of the fam — sipping soft drinks, of course.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

Vivian Jenna Wilson's father is the least interesting thing about her.

Yes, that father is billionaire Elon Musk, but over the last few years, Wilson has made a name for herself. The 22-year-old model initially entered the public eye when she came out as trans in 2020 — much to the chagrin of her transphobic father — but in the past year, her profile has risen more and more.

Wilson has graced fashion show runways and magazine covers, and it seems like she's just getting started. In February 2026, Paper Magazine called her a Gen Z icon, and in April, she appeared in the music video for Katseye's song "PINKY UP."

Wilson isn't afraid to be politically outspoken, advocating for universal basic income, free healthcare, and trans rights. She also isn't afraid to troll her estranged father: She recently released a merch line called Evil Woke Mind Virus, after Musk said she was "killed by the woke mind virus."

Fans of Wilson can follow her on various social media accounts, including Instagram and TikTok, where she has the most followers at 1.9 million. Across all her social profiles (including Bluesky, Threads, and Twitch), she's amassed over 3 million followers.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

Vic Michaelis’ Dropout webseries, Very Important People, is so outrageous, creative, and hilarious that it must be seen to be believed.

Dressed like a 1970s bank manager, Michaelis is Very Important People’s host on the verge of a nervous breakdown, corralling guests for comedically contentious interviews. The guests appear as deformed babies, living dolls, plant people, and even the host's imaginary childhood friend (that would be a character named Oops Lil Fart, who admits to bedding Michaelis’ father).

The show's guests are blindly outfitted in elaborate costumes and prosthetic make-up and tasked with creating a character on the spot. The interviews with Michaelis are completely improvised and often go off the rails — in the best way possible.

In addition to Very Important People, which they executive produce, Michaelis is a Dropout standout. Their appearances on shows like Dimension 20: Gladlands, Gastronauts, and Game Changer helped them amass nearly 500,000 followers on Instagram.

Michaelis’ talents recently received wider exposure thanks to their turn on the Peacock series Ponies, playing the wife of a CIA analyst in 1970s-era Russia (there’s something about that time period). Michaelis reveled in their character’s Cold War style, recently telling Mashable’s Kristy Puchko that their giant hairdo was “art.”

"It felt like drag in the best way possible," Michaelis said.

Very Important People also has a drag sensibility, with its love of makeup and devotion to camp. There’s just nothing like it on YouTube.

“It rocks,” Michaelis said. “Genuinely, it really just is the best job in the world.”

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

If you've spent any time on TikTok in the past year, you've likely seen a Vanillamace edit, even if you didn't realize it at the time. Her reactions have become fodder for fan edits, memes, and increasingly specific internet shorthand, the kind of creator language that spreads far beyond her own page.

The 29-year-old creator, whose first name is Emily and who is often called Vanilla by fans, first broke through in 2025 with her viral "blind box saga," an epic, unhinged TikTok edit in which she kept pulling the one Skullpanda keychain from Pop Mart she didn't want. The video racked up more than 15 million views and helped launch her into a new tier of creator visibility.

Since then, her audience has expanded rapidly across platforms, including more than 5 million followers on TikTok, over 1.7 million YouTube subscribers, and nearly 900,000 followers on Twitch, where she has become one of the most visible women on the app.

What makes Vanillamace so enjoyable to watch is her ability to make almost anything entertaining. While she streams a variety of cozy, quirky, and simulation-style games — whether that's Waterpark Simulator, Pokémon Pokopia, Tomodachi Life, or whatever strange obsession has captured her attention that week — some of her most memorable content comes from everyday events. Frequent IKEA trips, thrift hauls, collector hunts, convention outings, and even routine shopping runs become must-watch entertainment thanks to her willingness to fully commit to the bit.

A passionate collector, Vanilla also brings viewers along for the excitement of chasing Sonny Angels, Pop Mart figures, Pokémon cards, and other collectibles, capturing the thrill and occasional absurdity of collector culture, which she described as "girl gambling" in a 2025 interview with Mashable.

Beyond her interests, her biggest strength is her personality. She's funny, candid, and unafraid to speak her mind, often standing on business and expressing opinions that other creators might shy away from. Her content feels driven by a real person rather than a carefully curated online persona, which gives even the most mundane moments a sense of authenticity.

This past year, that voice has translated into brand collaborations with brands such as Voight and Boy Smells, signaling her shift from breakout creator to established digital star. She has also begun hosting IRL events and using her platform to fundraise for The Trevor Project and Trans Lifeline, showing how her influence extends beyond the internet.

Add in recurring appearances from her cats, Chai and Miso, and her content manages to feel both deeply online and surprisingly grounded.

In a creator economy obsessed with perfection, Vanillamace is succeeding by letting her audience see — and be part of — the chaos.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

Valkyrae’s career traces the evolution of internet fame over the past decade. What began on Twitch has expanded into something broader, spanning content, business, and entertainment.

She's amassed more than 10 million followers across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, making her one of the most recognizable figures in streaming. Even after shifting platforms, her presence on Twitch remains significant, with more than 1.5 million followers, a reminder of her early role in shaping the space as one of its most visible women.

Gaming is still central to her content, but it's no longer the only focus. Her work now moves fluidly across formats, from livestreaming to brand-building to on-screen appearances.

Over the past year, Valkyrae has continued to expand that footprint in concrete ways. She remains a co-owner of 100 Thieves, co-hosts the podcast Wine About It with QTCinderella, and has appeared on-screen in projects such as Scare Tactics. She also continues to land major brand partnerships across gaming, beauty, and lifestyle, while maintaining a consistent presence in streaming and collaborative content. Each move extends her reach while reinforcing her identity as more than a streamer. She operates as a brand.

What makes her trajectory notable is its stability. Many creators struggle to maintain relevance as platforms shift. Valkyrae has adapted without losing the audience that first supported her. Longevity depends on evolution, but that evolution has to feel coherent. Audiences will follow if the shift makes sense.

Valkyrae has managed that balance. She's grown without feeling disconnected from her origins.

And that's what has allowed her to last.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

Akil McKenzie, better known as Unsighted on TikTok and Instagram, is a Toronto-based film director, rapper, and poet.

Unsighted has been posting his poetry on social media since he was a college student, but briefly went viral last year for freestyling at a Morgan Jay show. This video garnered over 30 million views. He went viral yet again a few months later, after posting his “white girl dance” to Kesha’s “Your Love Is My Drug” on TikTok during the summer.

The wholesome videos have amassed millions of views on TikTok, and for good reason: People can’t seem to resist Unsighted’s energy, and often join in on the dance with him. TikTok users have also requested the dance at various locations, such as Starbucks and crowded malls across Toronto.

The viral stardom couldn’t have come at a better time for Unsighted: he released his single, “Fucked Up,” in July 2025. As of April 2026, Unsighted has nearly 1 million followers on TikTok and 640,000 on Instagram. While his dance videos have no doubt played a role in his social media standing, it’s the duality of his platform that tends to surprise people: His angry rap music is a stark contrast from his bubbly “white girl dance” videos.

Unsighted leans into this range across his social media platforms today. He’s still posting “White girl dance” videos, promoting his new music, and taking part in street dance battles across parts of Canada.

Aside from being a content creator, Unsighted is also an entrepreneur. He’s the founder and CEO of a video production company called Falling Motion, and he offers White Girl Dance merchandise on his website.

In 2026, we’re looking forward to seeing what else Unsighted could surprise us with, whether it’s more freestyle or angry rap, feel-good white girl dance collaborations, or video production projects.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

If you want the latest news on consumer tech, gaming, or the monolithic Apple, Mashable has you covered. But even we tech experts turn to the creator world for quick breakdowns and temperature checks on how the general public is reacting to new products and breaking tech news.

Enter @hitomidocameraroll, aka Tyler Morgan, the internet's "most sane Apple user," who's taken over the world of clippy, informative tech explainers, product and software guides, and — most importantly — Apple snark. Morgan didn't intend to become a mainstay of the tech review world; he originally wanted to be a musician. Instead, the helm was thrust upon him after his honest reviews of Apple products as an ex-employee went mega viral.

With more than 2.5 million followers now accumulated across his Instagram and TikTok accounts, Morgan's videos rack up hundreds of thousands, often millions, of views. Followers turn to him to help them decide if the latest trendy product is really worth the hype, and we keep going back because we want an in with Tim Cook's unofficial "BFF.” What is it they say? The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

The internet has a BFF and her name is Christina Najjar. Better known to her millions of followers as Tinx, this podcaster, author, and digital creator has been affectionately referred to as “TikTok’s older sister.”

As host of the podcast, It’s Me, Tinx and the radio show, It’s Me, Tinx LIVE, Najjar talks candidly about her own life, dives into pop culture news, and routinely doles out sex and relationship advice like the big sis she is.

“To me, talking to someone — unproduced, person-to-person, in a live atmosphere — is one of the most beautiful human things we can do,” Najjar told her followers in a recent video. “In a world, increasingly, where we don’t know what’s real and what’s not, there’s something so nice about connecting with someone in front of others.”

It’s been a big year for the 35-year-old New Yorker, whose bestselling advice book The Shift was optioned by Amazon to become a romantic comedy series, with Najjar as co-creator and co-executive producer. It’s not the only title to Najjar’s name, though: Tinx is also the author of Hotter in the Hamptons, a novel that is also in development to become a TV series.

A follow for Tinx means an all-access pass to her world, from the big stuff like trips and career wins to moments as tiny as when she's feeling like her hair isn't looking quite right. Whether she’s walking to work and jetting off to Miami or doing her makeup and cuddling with her cats, you better believe she’s taking us along with her.

Tinx has a particular knack for weaving together the storylines of her life, through content streams that migrate between platforms: Something may start out as an Instagram story, continue as a discussion on her podcast, then get resolved over on TikTok. It’s life meets content meets life — and her audience gets a front-row seat.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

There's "aura farming," and then there's whatever magic TikTok's The Goddess Boys (@rjchumbley) are serving up to their 10.5 million total social media followers.

Their viral TikTok account is the byproduct of an ethereal creative partnership between best friends (or, as they like to say, soulmates) Adrian and RJ, featuring jaw-dropping makeup and fashion, fierce drink recipes, and magical roleplays where the two are giant beings, fates and furies, or adoptive vampire parents. You can watch them pair fragrances or get ready for Coachella and simply forget that the endless scroll is a bad thing — not when it looks this good.

With years of creation under their belt, the Goddess Boys have turned the simple act of strutting across FYPs into its own art form. And the duo's followers are eager to place their offerings on the altar of the Goddess Boys. "I'm new here," one commenter writes. "Am I supposed to be in love immediately?"

The two are a staple of late-night TikTok scrolling. You swipe past storytimes. You linger on ASMR videos. You stay for the goddesses.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

Some creators go viral for a moment. Taryn Delanie Smith built an account that people keep coming back to.

Best known for Denise, the "heaven receptionist" who greets the newly dead with a mix of warmth and humor, Smith has created one of the most distinct characters on the internet right now. Across TikTok and Instagram, where she's amassed nearly 3 million followers, the series has taken on a life of its own. Each video adds a new layer to Denise's world, turning a simple premise into something expansive and unexpectedly comforting.

Denise isn't played for big laughs. The humor is subtle, built on timing, repetition, and the gentle absurdity of the setting. But underneath the comedy is something heavier. As Mashable previously reported, Smith's work "pairs grief with a dose of playfulness," creating a space where loss, humor, and curiosity can coexist.

That balance reflects how Smith approaches comedy more broadly. "Sometimes comedy is the only way to talk about something really hard," she told Mashable last year. Her videos often feel like emotional translations, turning big, unwieldy feelings into something viewers can sit with.

Over the past year, that momentum has translated beyond short-form video. Smith is set to release her first book, Welcome to the Afterlife: A No-Nonsense Tour for Those in Mourning or the Merely Curious with Denise, Heaven's Receptionist, on Oct. 20, 2026. Featuring illustrations by Maria Krasinski, the project expands Denise's world into a longer-form grief guide, taking the tone that made the character resonate and bringing the series to a new format.

Off camera, Smith’s life adds another layer to her appeal. She splits her time between New York and her home upstate, where she lives with her husband, her Great Dane, and a growing family of chickens. That grounded, off-grid reality sits in quiet contrast to the surreal afterlife she's created online.

Yet, in both worlds, Smith is doing the same thing: making the unfamiliar feel warm and lived-in.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

Sydney Towle has built a large online community by documenting living with cancer in real time. The 26-year-old creator, who lives in New York, shares candid TikTok videos about undergoing treatment for cholangiocarcinoma, a rare bile duct cancer that typically affects people decades older than she was when she was diagnosed at 23.

Towle’s account has grown to nearly 900,000 followers on TikTok, where viewers follow her updates on chemotherapy treatments, clinical trials, and the emotional realities of navigating illness as a young adult. Her videos often move between the everyday and the existential: hospital visits, walks through the city, and reflections on fear, fatigue, and what it means to live with uncertainty and feel like you're not in control of your own life.

Unlike many social media narratives about illness that emphasize constant optimism, Towle’s posts frequently acknowledge the more complicated emotional terrain of treatment. In recent videos, she has spoken openly about the psychological disorientation that can accompany chemotherapy and the challenge of processing life events while going through treatment.

That openness has turned her account into more than a personal diary. In the comments, followers share their own diagnoses, stories about loved ones with cancer, or messages of support, transforming her page into a kind of digital support network.

As more people turn to social media for connection around health experiences, Towle’s videos show how creators can reshape how illness is discussed online.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

If you've ever fallen down a late-night TikTok rabbit hole of unsettling, can't-look-away videos, there's a good chance you’ve encountered Spencer Lackey.

The creator has built a following of more than 3 million followers on TikTok through short-form horror videos that transform ordinary spaces — a hallway, a bedroom, a window at night — into something more unnerving. His clips, often just seconds long, rely on atmosphere, suggestion, and timing rather than on jump scares, creating a style closer to analog horror than to traditional social media content.

Lackey's work is deceptively simple. A shadow lingers too long. A figure appears where it shouldn’t. The story unfolds quickly, but the unease sticks. That ability to build tension in such a compressed format has helped his videos rack up millions of views, with some going viral almost instantly.

In 2025, Lackey began expanding beyond TikTok, taking a step toward filmmaking with his short film You Are Here, signaling a shift from platform-native storytelling to more traditional cinematic work. His goal, he’s said, is to use social media as a pathway into directing full-length horror films.

As digital creators are increasingly being taken seriously as filmmakers and leveraging their accounts for Hollywood deals, that dream doesn't seem so far-fetched.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

When the internet decided “everyone was Chinese now," Sherry Zhu didn’t need to learn about Chinamaxxing, it was her life. As a self-described “Chinese baddie”, Sherry has spread the baddie lifestyle to the internet. Taking a stern but loving big sister approach, Sherry passes on wellness tips based in Chinese culture, gently scolding her viewers for drinking cold water instead of hot.

Posting under the username @sherryxiirui, Sherry is only 23, but has a mature wisdom inspired by her parents and grandmother. Her content runs deeper than just advice to embrace a “very Chinese life,” instead including messages about the importance and significance of Chinese culture. “I think sharing my culture and my life with people has created a deep connection towards Chinese culture and to me,” Sherry says.

On her primary platform, TikTok, Sherry had under 5,000 followers as of November 2025. As of March 2026, her follower count has grown to 743K. Her follower count quickly accelerated as she focused her content on how to become a Chinese baddie.

Her quick growth and maintained audience is an impressive feat in leveraging a trend into a following. But it’s not all business. Sherry maintains a levity and playfulness that meet the moment. Her content has clearly resonated, gaining over 10.4 million likes as she continues to remind followers to put on the sheet mask when the weather gets cold and always wear slippers around the house.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

Shawna Lander, also known as @shawnathemom, isn’t just another actor on Instagram. She’s created an entire ecosystem of characters for her one-woman skits — which, let’s be real, could be staged somewhere Off-Broadway. Lander boasts over 3 million followers across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. Her TikTok leads, with over 2.1 million as of this writing.

She’s best known for her skits as several members of the “McCallister Family.” The lore goes so deep that Lander uploaded every McCallister skit in order across two videos, totaling nearly 4 hours. And those were uploaded months ago, so the lore absolutely continues.

As the 42-year-old explains on TikTok, she does a lot of one-off sketches as well, with characters seen once and never again. Given that the main players are family, the skits, some featuring babydolls, explore motherhood and interpersonal dynamics, subjects so universal that millions of people are tuning in.

When she’s not donning wigs and baseball caps, Lander discusses her breast cancer recovery. She also gives rare behind-the-scenes glimpses of her TikTok skits.

In a Yahoo profile earlier this year, Lander explained that it takes around 14 hours to produce a 5-minute skit. But for her fans, it’s all worth it. Just look at the comments on her videos and you’ll find followers enraptured, already asking for the next installment.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices.