New generation aspires to be famous YouTubers over movie stars

Back in the day, when we looked to our futures as adults, we aspired to be an amazing pop sensation like Britney Spears or an iconic actress like Alicia Silverstone. 

We pinned posters of Britney (featuring dangerously low-rise jeans) to our walls and watched The Craft over and over again in the hope of perfecting our own craft of acting. 

Nowadays, however, it seems that kids are aspiring to grow up to be internet celebrities, rather than masters of the arts. 

A survey of UK primary school children revealed that working in social media is a major career aspiration for youngsters.

Ninety-four percent of teens access the internet using their phone every single day, according to a 2016 Pew Research study, so it's not surprising that the upcoming generation view the internet famous as legitimate celebrities. 

'For more and more children and young people, online celebrities and YouTube gaming 'vloggers' have taken the place of TV and movie stars,' reads the reports, according to Breaking News.

Many online celebs start out as teens, with the likes of Acacia Brinley, Shane Dawson and Lele Pons uploading content online when they were still in secondary school and having now culminated millions upon millions of followers.

'It could be argued that this is due to the growing fame and attraction of YouTube and video blogging stars, who are especially popular among younger audiences,' reads the study.

'Also, these choices may also speak to children's present worlds. Many seven to 11-year-olds will spend their time gaming and perhaps simultaneously watching celebrity gaming bloggers instructing them how to do it.' 

Luckily, traditional aspirational careers such as sportspeople, teachers and vets still topped the charts, with YouTuber coming in fourth.