Let’s face it—it’s everyone’s secret dream to have a following. Whether it’s pretending you’re walking an audience—non-existent as it may be—through a step-by-step process on cooking pasta when you’re alone in the kitchen, or even starting your random videos of the day with the overused “Hey, guys!” Many of us have a hidden desire to influence others—and we already do in our own ways. Just maybe not yet as much as Youtuber Andre Lagdameo.
Though he’s known for his modeling, acting, and his videos on YouTube, Andre prefers the term “youth influencer” because his audience consists mostly of young people. He understands that he has the ability to influence his audience, by encouragement, if nothing else. “It’s all for building a bigger platform to reach people and to encourage them. So [in] everything that I do, I ask myself, ‘Will this help build my platform so that I can encourage more people and reach more people?’” he says. When the spotlight’s glimmer might let people see only the fame and glory of the platform his work has built for him, Andre approaches it from a completely different perspective.
A platform built on encouragement
Since his 20 Facts About Me introductory video made its debut on YouTube, Andre has gained more or less 15,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel, not to mention his ever-increasing Instagram following. But he still sees himself as new to the game—a humble thought, which is one of the things that ground him.
Having started with the simple goal of encouraging people and the belief that small things can go a long way, he began to build a following that appreciated his words. “If you have all the talent in the world but you’re a trash person, I don’t consider that ‘success’ because you’re being consumed by things that are destroying you. Then in the process, you’re also bringing destruction to other people. So is that really worth celebrating?”
he explains.
When the curtains close and the show is over
Of course, talent and creativity can only get someone so far. With audiences keeping their eyes peeled for new content, it’s inevitable that an influencer’s values in real life will seep into what they create. Many content creators on social media platforms such as YouTube exploit and thrive on sensitive and offensive content with the desire to merely spruce up their channel, exposing their off-screen values for all the
world to see.
To Andre, the secret to keeping his on-screen and off-screen personas the same is to constantly make decisions to stay true to himself, many times asking, “Am I being true to myself with my actions?” In a world where the power to influence is almost synonymous with a false sense of glamour—making many doubt the integrity of the person they’re watching—it’s people like Andre who are a breath of fresh air where so many hide behind false projections of themselves. “Some people can be one person off-screen, and then another person on the screen or on stage, and I really want to be as genuine, whether I’m on stage or
off stage.”
The unseen struggle of the limelight
The limelight doesn’t come without its share of struggle. Rarely do we stop and realize that the ones in the limelight are human, and they, too, struggle with self-image. Drawing from his own experiences, Andre shares his personal struggles. “When it [comes] to modeling, [you‘ll] always see someone who looks better than you; when it’s acting, someone who can perform better than you; and when it’s YouTube, someone who has more subscribers,” he explains. Even he succumbs to comparing himself negatively to other more established Youtubers. “I think that was one of the most destructive things—when you just keep comparing yourself, and it beats you down.” On disheartening days, Andre thinks of his followers, and how he can do more to help them. And that keeps
him going.
However, Andre believes that comparison in itself isn’t a bad thing, or at least, it doesn’t have to be. He explains, “I don’t think comparison is a bad thing. I think it becomes a good thing when you see like, ‘Oh, this person is doing this; how can I become like that?’ and it encourages you to do better.” With this, he wants to keep on using his platform to make a positive impact on those he can reach.
Influence and responsibility
Having so many people hanging on his every word, action, and whim, there’s no denying the responsibility that Andre has on his shoulders, especially now that the scope of his influence is bigger than it has ever been before. However, where some would feel intimidated and overwhelmed by the attention, Andre sees it in a totally different way. He explains, “I feel more grateful and honored that I’m given this opportunity and platform rather than scared.” Aware of the effect his words and actions have, he remains steadfast to his
sense of self.
When asked how he feels about the way society puts people with influence on a pedestal—making it harder for them to get away with making mistakes, human as they may be—Andre pointed out that it’s just “sadly the way
the world is. It’s so unfortunate that others can point their fingers at all of these people on screen and on stages,” he says, going on to explain that people tend to judge others too easily. He even takes a stand, saying, “It has to change; people have to realize [that] regardless of your reputation, everyone is human at the end of the day.”
Human. That’s what we are.
It begs the question, with a bigger platform than most people, who are we to not step up to the plate and start speaking using the platforms we have? Humans. That’s what Andre Lagdameo is and also what other influencers on our screens are.
