2 weeks Ago
Meet The Young People Who’ve Made Social Media Work For Them—And Are Making It Better For The Rest Of Us, Too. H undreds of millions of people are now creating content on social media—either as their full-time job, a lucrative side-hustle, or just for fun. And as the creator economy continues to boom, emerging talent continues to rise.
Among these creators are young changemakers working toward bettering their lives and the lives of others, too. They lead efforts to influence laws and policies, promote inclusion within the beauty industry, conduct extensive research on the impact of social media and develop solution-based apps that enable us to regain control of our screen time. One of those standout creators is Drew Afualo , the TikToker-turned-media mogul known for her humor and women-centered content.
At 29-years-old, Afualo has built a massive following of 9 million with her relatable take on internet culture—and her fight for women's empowerment, using her platform to challenge online hate and promote positive social change. Now with more than just TikTok posts in her repertoire, she earned $2.9 million last year through brand partnerships and her podcasts The Comment Section and Two Idiot Girls , and became a New York Times best-selling author with her memoir LOUD: Accept Nothing Than the Life You Deserve.
Afualo is just one of this year’s 30 Under 30 Social Media 2025 cohort, made up of the young founders, industry leaders, and legislative changemakers who are redefining the creator economy. Another is Carlos Espina , a 26-year-old law school graduate who’s been dubbed “A One-Man Telemundo on TikTok” for his Spanish-speaking news content. He boasts over 10 million followers and in 2022 founded Migrantes Unidos, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting immigrants through free citizenship classes, English courses, college workshops, and other essential services.
Meanwhile, Joel Bervell , 29, known as the “Medical Mythbuster,” educates over a million followers about racial disparities in medicine and has spoken at the White House about mental health. And Khalil Greene , 24, the content creator behind his page, "The Gen Z Historian," highlights and educates more than 800,000 viewers on overlooked histories and has consulted for the White House while producing a docuseries for National Geographic. Making our relationship to social media healthier: Oliver Hill , 27, and Royce Branning , 28, are the cofounders of Clearspace.
They’ve developed an app that helps users rebuild their phone habits and reduce unwanted screen time; Steve Rathje , 29, a psychology researcher at New York University with over 1 million TikTok followers, explores the intersection of social media and psychology and has published 34 peer-reviewed articles; Anna Nordstrom , 28, is the product manager in charge of TikTok’s STEM feed, which offers educational content in over 40 countries; and Angela Lee , 27, a doctoral researcher at Stanford University’s Social Media Lab, studies the psychological harms of social media—such as cyberbullying and misinformation—and develops online interventions to help people engage with social media platforms safely. Other listers are shaping the laws that govern the social media industry. Take Chris McCarty , 20, who founded Quit Clicking Kids to advocate for protections for child social media stars; Zamaan Qureshi , 22, and Arielle Geismar , 23, who led the Design It For Us campaign for California’s Age Appropriate Design Code, making it the first U.
S. law of its kind; Emma Lembke , 22, and Clara Wasserman , 21, cofounders of the LOG OFF movement, which advocates for safer online spaces; and Sophie Szew , 22, a mental health advocate and federal appointee who has testified before California's Senate Judiciary Committee about social media's impact on youth. Finally, the list highlights beauty content creators who are transforming their passion into lucrative careers.
Toni Bravo , 25, who has grown to be a prominent voice for people of color in the beauty and lifestyle sector by sharing makeup tutorials and product reviews. And fashion influencer April Lockhart , 29, shares clothing content including her experience being born with a disability. She has become a leading voice in the disabled community by using her platform to promote inclusive fashion with partners like Anthropologie and Victoria's Secret—who she walked the runway for at the “Runway of Dreams” event at New York Fashion Week.
Plus, nearly 3 million follow 23-year-old Golloria George ’s content promoting inclusivity for people of color. She’s turned that into consultations and collaborations with major beauty brands like Patrick Ta and Rhode to change and expand their product offerings. This year's Under 30 changemakers are a testament to the power of social media to spark change, amplify diverse voices, and create lasting impact in both digital and real-world.
Forbes journalists and judges across the creator community reviewed thousands of applications for this year’s list. The judging panel included Vivian Tu , a former Wall Street trader, Forbes Under 30 and Top Creators alum and also known as “Your Rich BFF” online; Renee DiResta , head of policy at Data for Democracy and author of Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies Into Reality ; Ali Berman , partner and head of digital talent at United Talent Agency; and Adam Waheed, comedian, YouTube creator and Forbes Top Creator. To be considered, all candidates had to be 29 or younger as of December 31, 2024, and must not have previously appeared on a Forbes 30 Under 30 North America, Europe or Asia list.
This year’s list was edited by Alexandra S. Levine, Emily Baker-White & Angelica DeLeon. For a link to our complete Social Media list, click here , and for full 30 Under 30 coverage, click here.
30 UNDER 30 RELATED ARTICLES.
