Released in 2021, Fake Famous is a documentary film directed by Nick Bilton. The film explores the modern-day obsession with social media fame and how individuals are chasing it even if it means buying fake followers and engagement to look popular. The experiment, involving three everyday people - Dominique, Chris, and Wylie - was conducted to demonstrate the ease with which a person can become “famous” on social media with a little money, even if they are not celebrities and have no significant talent.
The film follows the participants' journey as they transform their personal profiles into highly engaging and seemingly "influential" social media accounts by using bots, purchasing followers, and creating fake content. The three participants start off with a modest following of a few thousand Instagram users. Throughout the film, they learn the ins and outs of the influencer culture and the strategies used to gain followers.
With the help of industry experts, they learn about the importance of branding, engagement, and reach. They also learn about the vast industry of social media bots and fake followers. The film highlights how easily available these tools are and how easy it is to buy engagement to increase followers.
As the experiment progresses, the participants' social media accounts become increasingly popular, with thousands of new followers, likes, and comments. They are offered paid partnerships with brands and invited to exclusive events. They are even approached by mainstream media with offers of interviews.
Overall, Fake Famous offers a thought-provoking look at the impact of social media on our lives and the lengths people will go to achieve “fame.” It questions the notion of what it means to be influential, and whether the follower count is a meaningful metric for measuring someone's importance or impact.