We see the trend growing. They’re popping up all over Los Angeles  —  clout houses. Groups of influencers, YouTubers and gamers get together and live in large, lavish mansions. On the surface, it’s a big party, a way for people doing well on social media can keep the party going #allday. But some suspect there’s something far more sinister going on just beneath the surface.

For those ‘in the know’, there’s more going on behind the curtain. They see that the social media stars are banding together with a mind for business. The idea is that they form companies around their particular brand  —  be it Team10 House, Faze House or Click House — whatever. Each member pays a percentage of their earnings to the overall business, which then pays for their rent and expenses. In turn, the individuals each help one another build their followings through mentions and directing traffic. They pay the fee and each member helps the others gain more clout, and ultimately they all benefit. Ok, easy enough. But what if that’s just another cover for a much more deeply rooted conspiracy?

When we start digging a little deeper we turn up uncomfortable questions. Even if these influencers are bringing in healthy paychecks, the houses they live in are still incredibly expensive. Can their combined income really cover the expenses? Keeping a place like that clean, making sure the decor is fresh enough to keep up with Instagram, stocking the fridge with a mix of mountain dew and avocado toast. So that begs the question; who is really pulling the strings?

Could it be YouTube itself, assembling collections of creators as a way of secretly creating a marketing tornado that feeds itself as each member suggests their followers follow their clout-house mates? For YouTube this would mean more users of the site, more revenue. Maybe.

Or perhaps there are secret investors, assembling an army of influencers who will suddenly turn into a single huge ad campaign? Could the whole trend of clout houses just be a slow burn marketing strategy for some trendy new skincare products? Or perhaps this is a campaign for a political candidate —  they want to get all the influencers together, then slowly convert them to support one platform, then use their combined clout to secure the presidency? Is that too simple? Just one devious politician behind it all? If TRUTH tells us anything, it’s that there is always more going on:

Is it possible that this is the first phase of a dark dystopian future, where a class society based on clout replaces the old economic class systems of the 20th century? Instead of the rich and the poor, could this new world perhaps be based on the dichotomy of influencers and followers? Does the future hold jackbooted thugs hauling off anyone with less than a thousand subscribers to live in work-camps, where they’ll farm likes and create low-quality memes?

I’m not sure, but I don’t want to risk it. Please follow me on social.