Teenagers Worship YouTube Stars More Than Hollywood Celebrities

A new survey from Variety shows that YouTube stars are more popular with teenagers than Hollywood A-listers.

The survey encompassed the opinions of 1,500 teenagers on 20 well-known personalities (some from YouTube and some from mainstream media.) The teens were to rank the stars "in terms of approachability, authenticity and other criteria considered aspects of their overall influence."

According to Variety, it was found that "the five most influential figures among Americans ages 13-18 are all YouTube faves, eclipsing mainstream celebs including Jennifer Lawrence and Seth Rogen. The highest-ranking figures were Smosh, the online comedy team of Ian Andrew Hecox and Anthony Padilla, both 26."

The first Hollywood celeb that appeared on the list was the late Paul Walker at number 6.

Followed by Jennifer Lawrence at number 7.

Variety reports,

Looking at survey comments and feedback, teens enjoy an intimate and authentic experience with YouTube celebrities, who aren't subject to image strategies carefully orchestrated by PR pros. Teens also say they appreciate YouTube stars' more candid sense of humor, lack of filter and risk-taking spirit, behaviors often curbed by Hollywood handlers.

You can check out the full rank here.