With videos titled “stories from my childhood,” “fashion week, the naked truth,” and “i’m in a weird mood lol,” Emma Chamberlain has always been the girl Gen Z can count on to be honest. But unlike many other social media personalities, Emma has built a following that has stuck with her for nearly a decade — an impressive feat for a 24-year-old. She evolved from a YouTuber documenting her daily life to someone interviewing on the Met Gala carpet and running her own successful company. Although she now posts only about once a month, she’s never stopped sharing the real ups and downs of her life. Gen Z has grown up alongside her, listening as she openly explores the complicated feelings every teen can relate to. So while some of her videos might seem like random entertainment, to our generation, she represents something much deeper.
Emma first began posting vlogs while attending her all-girls school, quickly gaining traction for her lifestyle content and unapologetic candor. Her audience grew even more when she teamed up with fellow popular YouTubers James Charles and the Dolan Twins. The group dubbed themselves the Sister Squad and cleverly combined their fanbases to boost each other’s platforms. Even years after the squad disbanded, Emma’s fans still eagerly await new videos, whether she’s at Paris Fashion Week or just cleaning out her closet.
Simply put, Emma’s likable. She’s trustworthy, funny, and unapologetically herself. Teens have loved Emma for years because she hasn’t changed. Despite millions of followers, billions of views, and major fame, she doesn’t take herself too seriously, and she still shows the same candid, chaotic side that my generation fell for long ago. She’ll post a red carpet Vanity Fair video one week, then follow it with “attachment issues,” filmed from the floor of her closet. She uses the camera to share her life, and it’s clear to anyone watching that it’s her: raw and unfiltered.
“She’s, like, a real person, and she’s open about her mental health,” said Greta, 16. “She doesn’t try to be someone else or chase trends — it always feels like she’s on the phone with an old friend, sharing the everyday stuff, not just the highlights.”
Olivia, 16, has been a die-hard Emma fan for years. “She’s the person that’s influenced me the most probably ever, of all time. She actually consumed my every thought for maybe four years,” she said. “From ages 10 to 14, everything she was doing I was emulating, because I thought she was cool, and she was funny, and she was very relatable — that was her brand. I mean, not that relatable because she got her own apartment in LA at like 17. But I just loved her. Even Urban Outfitters in 2018 looked like Emma Chamberlain’s closet. She was so influential. I genuinely think that’s the truth.”
Although Olivia may not watch Emma obsessively anymore, it’s clear the connection stuck: “I like her still, but she had a lot of mental health issues, so she took a break. Now she mostly does her podcast, which I listen to. She doesn’t really do YouTube anymore, which is sad — but I think it’s necessary for her.”
In Greta’s opinion, Emma’s transparency about her struggles is exactly what keeps her relevant: “I think that’s why people still respect her, because she was so open about her mental health.”
So while Emma might seem like your average influencer, to Gen Z she represents something bigger: confidence, vulnerability, and self-acceptance. There’s a reason she’s remained so influential — she’s earned the platform she has. Teens like Greta and Olivia look up to Emma for her honesty, and by being unapologetically herself, she’s earned not just fans, but a loyal community of people who feel like they truly know her.
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