Not so long ago, it was common to use phrases like "internet famous" to describe someone who had found notoriety online -- typically through social media platforms such as YouTube or Vine (remember Vine?).
But fewer and fewer people are using "internet famous" to describe influencers and content creators. And one would hope that this is because the concept of making money online, by whatever means, has slowly started to become a more mainstream and accepted path among multiple generations. Whether or not that's actually the case really depends on whom you ask.
Then why are people no longer "internet famous"? This could be because there are more specific terms to describe what this looks like. A fitness influencer. A viral TikTok creator. The latest online trend-setter.
The concept of online "fame" has also changed. Likely because many creators aren't actually in it for the fame -- not in the long-term, anyway. They;'re in it for the money, or the potential opportunities. Sometimes it's the community building that draws creators to produce. In many ways, though, content creation has now become more of a stepping stone rather than an end goal. It's not just about wanting to be a full-time YouTuber. There's now proof that many creators have gone on to puruse their lifelong dreams because of where they started. They're filmmakers; writers; musicians. Their fame has extended beyond the internet; the internet simply got them to where they really wanted to be.
Perhaps the desire to grow beyond online celebrity is largely born of a desire to shed the labels associated with internet stardom. There is still plenty of stigma, internalized and otherwise, even if it's diminished over time and will continue to do so. We often don't want to be known for the platforms we've seemingly dominated. We want to be known for other things -- are skills; our knowledge; growing beyond where we began.
To be "internet famous," maybe, is to acknowledge that our efforts stopped with one viral post or video. We want to do more. We all want to do more, and be more, and be remembered for more than what could have likely been just pure luck.