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The Student News Site of Millard West High School

The Catalyst
The Student News Site of Millard West High School

The Catalyst
The Student News Site of Millard West High School

The Catalyst
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Viral visions

Sophomore posts videos on social media
Lainey Reynolds, News Director
December 11, 2024
Taylor Barcel
Smiling for the camera, sophomore Taylor Barcel makes videos for her many followers on TikTok. She started her account in 2022 and has posted on it twice every day. “I hope that I can reach a huge platform, hopefully, millions of followers, but that’s most likely not going to happen because I think like 1/30 wanna-be influencers fail,” Barcel said. “Either way I hope to keep posting no matter how many followers I get because I’m so passionate about it.”

Influencers post videos of their lives on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube for others to watch, gaining fame from viewers on social media. Having a love for making and editing videos, sophomore Taylor Barcel hopes to reach an audience of millions one day. 

Since the summer of 2022, Barcel has posted twice a day on TikTok and has gained almost 3,000 followers. She also has caught the eye of many jewelry, skincare and makeup brands who reach out to her in the hope of promoting their products through her. 

“I decided to make my TikTok account because I have always wanted to do some sort of YouTube or TikTok, and influencers started to become a lot more popular and I just love making videos and editing them and everything like that,” Barcel said. “So many people are so kind on that app. I love when people comment and I love that I can give people inspiration and uplift them through videos that I post.”

Whether Barcel gains millions of followers or stays at two thousand she will continue to post for her followers as she is so passionate about it. Posting brings her just as much joy as it brings her followers. 

“I watch her account because she is so inspiring with the videos she creates and she is so funny,” sophomore Kailynn Carsltedt said. “I love hearing all of her stories and my favorite part is the humor she puts into all of her TikToks.”

Barcel’s friends help support her by following and liking her videos. They also love leaving encouraging and relatable comments on many of her videos. Her fans all have their favorite types of videos that she posts whether it’s a “get ready with me” or a haul. 

“I watch her account because she posts entertaining content,” sophomore Elsie Kusleika said. “I like when she posts about Jesus because it brings a lighthearted part out of her.”

With so much passion for what she does, Barcel has gone through highs and lows with her account and hopes her videos will soon reach a wider audience. She has met many new friends on TikTok who are also micro-influencers who wish to gain a larger following. The large community can’t wait to further her career and entertain an audience. You can watch her videos on these different platforms: TikTok and Instagram – @taylor_likestoshop, YouTube – taylorjo_098

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About the Contributor
Lainey Reynolds
Lainey Reynolds, Staff Reporter
Lainey is a sophomore and this is her first year on staff. She is also involved in Millard West show choir, Hosa, Key Club, Tri-M, French, and FCA. Outside of school she enjoys arts and crafts and hanging out with her friends and family. She is excited to write stories for people to read and is hoping to improve her writing throughout the year.