People don’t understand that you can be famous without being rich,” a semi-famous friend once complained to me, but in the strange new world of Internet-driven culture, you can be rich and famous without actually being famous. In other words, you — provided you’re young, perky, wholesome and a bit goofy — can be a YouTube star. Most people over 30 have never heard of vlogging celebrities like Zoe “Zoella” Sugg or Tyler Oakley, even though more than twice as many people subscribe to their YouTube channels than tuned in to watch the series finale of “Mad Men.” A Variety poll conducted last summer found that the five most influential public figures in the eyes of American teens were all YouTube stars. Many top YouTubers — in particular, the most popular producers of let’s-play gaming videos — also rake in millions of dollars in advertising revenue.

Unlike reality show stars, YouTubers like Zoella and Connor Franta are, in fact, here to make friends—and get paid