TikTok star Mason Ramsey, who first went viral in 2018 at the age of 12, posted a video offering advice to the internet’s newest child star: a seven-year-old boy named Tariq who went viral in August for explaining his love of corn on an Instagram web series, and has been dubbed “Corn Kid” by the millions who have viewed it.
In the weeks that followed, almost 900,000 TikTok videos featured a musicalized version of Tariq’s interview, which had gone viral on the platform. Since then, he has given interviews to US talk shows and news organizations, and the state of South Dakota has awarded him the title “Corn-bassador.”
It may seem relevant to Ramsey, whose viral fame began with a since-deleted Twitter video showing him yodeling in a Walmart in Illinois to Hank Williams’ “Lovesick Blues.” After experiencing a surge of viral fame in 2018, he essentially disappeared from the internet, but returned to TikTok in March 2021 after one of his original songs from 2019 went viral on the platform.
Ramsey published a TikTok on September 7 showing Tariq meeting America’s most popular YouTuber, MrBeast. Ramsey’s face was visible beside the TikTok, and he told Tariq, “Just let me know if you need anything, and good luck out there. I’m aware that things can be a bit overwhelming out there. Stay strong.”
Previously, Insider reported that an increasing number of young people are going viral and gaining mass followings on social media, but psychologists warn that such fame can hinder emotional development and cause identity issues, with children potentially unable to distinguish between their true selves and their online “persona.”
According to The Atlantic, child popularity can also put a child’s online security and personal safety at jeopardy; the two teens who starred in a 2016 Vine known as the “Damn Daniel” meme had their accounts hacked, and one of them was swatted in the same year.
Commenters thought it was good that Ramsey gave Tariq words of support in the video, which has received 9.5 million views.
“Kings backing kings” was the leading remark beneath the post.
“I was JUST commenting this morning how similar your situations are. Good luck boys! We are rooting for the two of you!” Read another comment that has received 45,000 likes.
It does not appear that Tariq, whose last name is unknown, has a public social media profile. Currently, Ramsey has 2.1 million followers on TikTok, and he frequently shares videos of him performing his songs on stage or attempting on new cowboy hats and boots.
Check out the coverage of Insider’s Digital Culture team for similar articles.