The Magcon Boys

Twelve Boys Change The Social Media World Forever

""They have six seconds -- six seconds -- in which to captivate millions of people. They can make you laugh. They can make you cry. They can tell a story in six seconds." (Constable paragraph). The internet is a place where people go to speak their minds, reacting to friends pictures, and spending hours behind a screen doing pointless tasks that make time go faster. But, in cases like these, some people take advantage of that and become more than they ever dreamed of. In June of 2012, a new app was released to the public. This app was called Vine, an app that gives you six seconds to create a video that can captivate millions of people. Many took to it as yet another way to waste time, but a man by the name of Bart Bordelon saw a future in it. He recruited 12 boys to change the image social media forever. "It all began in September of 2013." (Turner para 13). Bordelon created the very first ever Magcon (Meet and Greet Convention) tour. "MAGCON is a tour that Nash Grier, Cameron Dallas, Matt Espinosa, Shawn Mendes, Taylor Caniff, Aaron Carpenter, Carter Reynolds, Jack Johnson, and Jack Gilinsky go on to travel to cities all over the country." (Bush). There were three people who joined as guests; Jacob Whitesides, Mahogany LOX (the DJ), and Nash Grier's younger brother Hayes Grier. "Magcon is like a boy band mall tour except that rather than being famous for making albums, the baby-faced teens score fans with six-second videos of themselves goofing around with friends or playing with cats. (That being said, a few of the Magcon boys -- like a duo who go by the name Jack and Jack -- are trying to parlay their social media fame into music careers.)" (Schreiber). "Between September 2013 and March 2014, the tour made stops in eight US cities: Houston, Dallas, Orlando, Washington DC, Nashville, Bay Area, Chicago, and San Diego, during which the members continued to update their Vine feeds with videos from the events" (Horan).  "The first tour was on October 1, 2013. very last tour was on April 26, 2014." (Turner). A hero must be caring, relatable, and inspirational in order to be considered a hero. And each of these boys possess these heroic traits, making them heroes. However the three boys that have impacted the most lives; Shawn Mendes, Cameron Dallas, and Jacob Whitesides are the main focus. The Magcon boys are relatable, caring, and inspirational, making them true heroes.

The boys show that they can relate with their fans, even through fame. Shawn Mendes has seen what's bothering his fans and has made steps towards helping them realize it's never just them. "And you don't have to be afraid, because we're all the same,/ And we know that sometimes it all gets a little too much." (Alice). Shawn wrote a song based on things he's been told by fans while on tour, the reoccurring theme being that he has helped all of them in times that they have felt helpless. Shawn's song follows the story of a girl that fakes a smile every day but is really hurting on the inside. Shawn then says that everyone is hurting in one way or another and that she's not alone. This song has saved many people from the dangers of depression and self harm. Jacob also knows the position that some of his fans are in, and can relate on many topics, especially having a parents who's not around. "Last time I saw your face you were screaming that I don't have a clue. I'm not a deadbeat, piece of s---. Dad, I'll never learn that from you" (Ellie). Jacob wrote the song "Ohio" after his parents went through a rough divorce, during which Jacob and his dad got into a fight and haven't spoken to each other in nearly three years. His dad knows nothing of what Jacob has become and they're not in a place to talk to each other. People who are going through parent issues can turn to this song that has a message they can relate to. Cameron is the most known boy of the group, and yet he manages to look back on his past and doesn't shy away from what he's done. "This time a few years ago. I tried to take my own life." (Dallas via FaceBook). Cameron Dallas is 10 million followers in on Instagram, and yet he manages to say the truth about his past and what he went through, then proceeds to tell fans that he's there for them. Knowing that a celebrity goes through things that affect ordinary people is quite surreal and makes others question how bad it can be if they've made it through. The boys started from nothing, just 12 teenagers with a phone like everyone else, and now they've made something of themselves. Many of them were bullied and harassed and self harmed in high school, but now they help people quit and they save lives. All the while staying true to who they really are.

Shawn, Cameron, Jacob, and the rest of Magcon are truly inspirational for the fans who look up to them. Shawn has launched many campaigns since he signed with Island Records back in 2014, and all of them have changed someone's life in one way or another. "Mendes launched his #BuildASchoolWithShawn campaign on October 14, sparking a worldwide trend on Twitter. He has hit 164% of his fundraising goal to build a school in rural Ghana with the non-profit education organization. Mendes Shawn funded 98% of his campaign after just one social media post, showcasing not only the power of his fans and community, but also how young people can effect and fuel social change." (Barilla). Shawn is changing lives just by being himself, whether it's through the power of music or through the many campaigns he supports, this kid is a true inspiration to teenagers everywhere. Life was hard for me before Shawn entered it, but the second he did, things have gotten better and things don't look so bleak for me anymore. Jacob isn't even 18, but he's already changing the music industry, one day at a time. "For this is a young artist with a social media following of over 5 million people, and who went straight to #1 on the iTunes singer/songwriter chart with the release of his debut EP 'A Piece Of Me'. Already in scintillating form, he then topped the charts in the UK, Canada, Portugal, Australia, Brazil and France. What's more, he's done it all on his own terms. Sure, he could've taken the major route and been molded into the next pop puppet, but this fiercely independent spirit instead opted to become the CEO of his own touring, merchandising and record label Double U Records which recently partnered with BMG." (Whitesides para 3). Jacob has completely changed the music game for being so successful at such a young age; not even 18 and this boy has already come out with three EP's, starting tour, releasing a full album within the next year, and has created his own record company, all before he's able to vote. It's easy to say that Jacob is highly influential for such a young kid. Cameron Dallas just wants the best for his fans and wants them to know that the storm will pass. "Just remember that you aren't worthless and you will get through it. I promise." (Dallas via Twitter). Cameron Dallas went from being a kid who suffered from depression without friends in High School to a young adult capable of changing the hearts of 10 million fans. Although backlash has come out saying that Cameron isn't as kind as everyone believes, it's hard to deny his caring actions and his humbleness about his background. We saw what happened when fame went to Justin Bieber's head, but yet, Cameron hasn't let it change him from who he was as a sophomore in high school, where his only friend was his own depression. Cam has come a long way in a little amount of time, without letting it change him. The boys started from nothing, many of them bullied or depressed or having no friends, and here they are now, making a difference in the world. Sure, they aren't together as the original Magcon now, but they are still making the most out of their lives which is very inspirational to those like me who want to but are too scared to take that first step. Too scared of being made fun of or bullied again for something we love. But these guys went out there and did it and you can take one look at them and know they don't regret a thing.

The 12 members of Magcon are relatable, caring, and inspirational, making them true heroes. When someone who has millions of people knowing who they are, the fact that they can still care about their fans and can still relate to them, even in the bleakest times, is just another proof to how they really are heroes. I've never had many friends. I've always been bullied and I never really knew the meaning of trust. But when these boys came into my life almost three years ago, I didn't know what to expect. Little did I know that a year later, even after they had been broken up, I was still chatting with other fans about our favorite memories. Little did I know that some of my best friends would come from this fanbase. They've helped me and others through so much, things like self harm, suicidal thoughts, depression, eating disorders, and so many other things that they don't even know they've helped me with. Some may say that they aren't the most influential or the best role models, but if you take one look at what they've done for people, then you'll see that they truly have their fans safety and happiness as their first priority, along with making sure the fans know that they are loved. Everyone has someone they look up to. Whether it's a superhero, your next door neighbor, or your dog, we all find someone that helps us through our hard times, through the best times and even through the in between. As Bob Riley said, "Hard times don't create heroes, it's during the hard times when the 'hero' within us is revealed."