TikToker Jack Wright shares what he learned from the Hype House, online toxicity, and acting
We’re reaching out to some popular creators to get their best tips and tricks for success and better understand the ups and downs of life as a trailblazer on the internet.
This week, we spoke with Jack Wright, a TikToker with over 11.3 million followers. In addition to his audience on TikTok, Wright has over 2.6 million followers on Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube.
Wright is known for his trendy comedy, dance, lip-syncing, and travel videos. Largely known for his punchy, funny, short-form videos, Wright also recently launched a video podcast called Me Time in partnership with media company Brat TV. On the show, Wright chats with guests about social media, mental health, life, pop culture, and more. Wright has also ventured into acting, starring in The Four of Them, a fiction series made by Brat TV and digital comic publishing titan Webtoon.
Wright is also well-known for collaborations with other social media stars, like his twin James Wright, and for joining the Hype House in 2019. Hype House is a famous content house of young social media celebrities working and living together in a mansion based in Moorpark, California. Wright left the collective after over 2.5 years, and posted about moving into a house closer to Los Angeles with some of his friends in October 2022.
We spoke with Wright about his origins, his new podcast, monetization, his decision to depart from the Hype House, dealing with the “toxicities” of social media, the importance of a tight social circle, and more.
The following interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
What is your history with social media, and how did you get started?
I kinda grew up on social media. At first in middle school, I used to [not like being] on social media. … I just wanted to do more things outdoors. And then I think I started doing social media, [and] taking it seriously as a junior in high school.
I used to dance in middle school and I got kicked off my dance team because I was focusing too much on pole vault and sports to make academics. … I stuck with pole vault and junior year, right before Covid started, was what brought me back into dancing, which was through TikTok. And, yeah, I just fell in love with social media and showing who I was and dancing with my twin.
Was there a particular moment you first went viral, or did your popularity slowly build over time?
It definitely built over time, but there was a dancing video that I did with my twin in the rain. I feel like you don't see a lot of twins that are, like, dancing full out with good energy in the rain. You don't see that on, like, a normal basis. So, I think that was one of the videos that kind of jump-started our careers.
How have you seen your own video style evolve over time, and do you have any plans to change it?
Definitely. I mean, I've gone through all different types of content, whether it's dancing videos, funny videos, traveling videos. … I try to do it all. But yeah, my videos definitely started going from more dance content to more, I guess like trends and comedy TikTok. It definitely evolved and I could see what people enjoy most on the app. I think it's always good to have a range of different niches on TikTok to make your account grow.
I kept on dancing, but I wanted to show more of who I was as a person. And I think what social media loves is showing your authentic self. … I think fan bases can see right through the screen. They can see if you're being authentic or you're faking something. So I think staying true to yourself on social media is very important.
What led you to start your new podcast?
I feel [strongly] about mental health and how people can destress in healthy ways. For me, I like hiking, dancing, surfing, music, and spending time with my friends. … Me Time is the perfect podcast to just talk about our mental health and our healthy ways to cope with issues that take place in life, especially being in L.A. and, like, how toxic people can be.
I think finding healthy ways to destress, whether it's doing what you love, going on hikes, playing soccer in your backyard, or playing a little half-court game of basketball. I think it's so important to do what you love.
Do you have any strategies for dealing with all the online attention you receive?
Definitely. I noticed when I start taking more time for myself, I feel a hundred times better. … I think it's also important to have a great support team. My friends… my parents, my PR team… having those people around you is so helpful.
I think it's so important to take time for yourself and do what you love. … I'm so thankful for what I do and the people around me because I can do what I love, while working, while being surrounded by people I love.
But it does get so toxic and you do need those people around you. I guess staying true to yourself is the best thing. … It's easy to come to L.A. or become an influencer and kind of change as a person. But even on social media, [people] want to see you as yourself, doing what you love. They followed you because of who you are, not because you went to L.A. or are getting money.
You’ve talked a couple of times about the toxicity of L.A. What do you mean by that? What are some of the things you’ve seen that you try to avoid?
A lot of people have wrong intentions when they move here. … Sometimes you can tell right away and sometimes people can be the sweetest ever and then they'll backstab you just cause they aren't there to be friends with you. It's to benefit themselves. What's so amazing about L.A. is that everyone here is so eager to be successful. … But also, while people are doing that, they'll kind of lose sight of their friends and who they are.
I just had a friend recently too that was so sweet, and I always try to see the good in people. So, we hung out a lot and then I realized that they had the wrong intentions. They didn't really want to hang out with me for who I was. It was kind of just what I had. That's why I think it's so important to keep your group tight.
I talk about the toxicity [of] social media, there's so much hate involved. It’s just so many mean comments and you have people out there that just sit behind their phone and want to start something. … When I look through my comment section, I love the comments. Like, they're amazing, people are so supporting. But you'll see one comment that'll say something about, like, your appearance or something that's not true. And it's that one comment that can totally affect your whole day or your whole week, you know.
I think [the internet] can be very dark. But while it can be very dark, I think it can be so beneficial to so many people. … I think it allows people to feel less alone and relate to people. While it can be so, so dark and toxic, I think there's so many amazing qualities of it.
What were some of the benefits of joining the Hype House, and why did you decide to leave?
I was in Hype House for probably two and a half years maybe. I think I was probably the longest in the house. I'm so thankful to all of them there. … I’ve had so many genuine connections with everyone. I moved out to be closer to L.A. and to move in with my closer friends.
I think I've learned so much from just being in a content house too. It's very different than living in a normal house with your friends. … There's more responsibilities and there’s more things to think about. … But I'm very thankful to like all of them that they've got me so far in, and introduced me to so many people.
How do you choose which monetization options to pursue?
I never, ever thought social media would be a career path for me. … I think it's so insane how the world's changing, and with social media, there's so many opportunities now.
As I'm getting more opportunities and more brands reaching out, I like to pick brands I love. So it's easy to make content because I love the product. … I love to travel, so hotels and airfare are easy to promote. I love the beach, so, environmentally friendly products for the ocean. And any clothes that I wear, whether it's like O'Neill or Billabong or Carhartt.
A lot of creators launch their own product lines. Have you considered doing something like that?
I've totally thought about that. I think that that would be so cool. I like Chamberlain Coffee, I got a little PR package from Emma [Chamberlain]. It’s so good. And so smart. … I've had merch before, but I think it would be so cool to come out with a certain brand.
It could be literally anything I use. Like, I love Aquaphor. I can't go anywhere without my Aquaphor. I'll be holding it in some videos. … Then I got a PR package from Aquaphor. I had a bunch of products and I was able to make a video about it. So maybe like, collabing with a chapstick brand, a surfboard brand, or a coffee brand, you know. I think that would be so cool, collabing with one of these brands and kind of putting my own ideas into it.
What are your current aspirations?
I would love to act. I've been doing an acting class for probably two years. … I'm really loving it. A lot of people on social media are switching into things like music, or acting, or becoming an entrepreneur, or making their own brand. I just played Johnny on Webtoon’s Brat [TV] series, and it was really fun just to get my feet wet and kind of in the door of acting, get a little experience.
Also continuing my podcast [and] opening the dialogue of mental health, and [continuing] to work with brands I love. … I guess just expanding and doing it all.
What advice would you give to an aspiring creator?
Just enjoy it, and create a support group so you can enjoy it more. … Thank the people that are helping you, and stay true to yourself. Don’t let your following change who you are, because, I mean, those are people supporting you for who you are. So just keep being yourself, you know?
Thank you, Jack, for chatting with us!
Are you a well-known creator? Reach out to grace.stanley@dailydot.com for a chance to be featured in an upcoming newsletter.
Sign up to receive the Daily Dot’s Internet Insider newsletter for urgent news from the frontline of online.
The post TikToker Jack Wright shares what he learned from the Hype House, online toxicity, and acting appeared first on The Daily Dot.