A six-year-old, Ben Hampton, exploded on the social media influencer scene over the past nine months. He launched his Instagram account in February and already has nearly 700,000 followers on the platform. On top of that feat, he has also gone viral on YouTube, collaborated with top-tier internet stars, and gained entry into the internet’s most notorious and exclusive vlog squad, Team 10. The first grader cannot even walk around his own neighborhood without tween fans gushing over his outfits or asking for selfies. He doesn’t have a signature — he recently learned to read and write — Hampton still gets asked to sign iPhone cases, sweatshirts, and shoes of his admirers. But there is one catch: Ben Hampton has never posted to his own Instagram. His account is run by his father, social media veteran Brenden Hampton. Well-dressed kids aren’t hard to find on Instagram, but Brenden Hampton’s well-established social media connections provided Ben’s springboard to fame. Ben himself loves YouTube, and wants to become a famous YouTuber. He has worked with Jake Paul, one of the largest and most well-known YouTube stars out there. Ben still goes to regular public elementary school in Fresno, and like any other first grader, plays after-school sports and goes to dance classes. He likes Dave and Busters. His mom takes his picture every morning. But Brenden Hampton told The Daily Beast that he is already preparing his son for the inevitable backlash he will face as a young social media star.
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