Quantifiable engagement data made fame an accessible aspiration for millions.

Evidence

These individual downfalls, however, were less significant than the broader transformation they symbolized. As Taylor Lorenz observed, “We’re all now deeply cognizant of our status, our metrics, our potential for micro-fame or outright celebrity.” Fame, once reserved for the select few, became an accessible aspiration for millions, driven by quantifiable engagement data. Even those without the slightest ambition to become internet stars still found themselves obsessing over digital validation. — W. David Marx, Blank Space, 564

As Taylor Lorenz observed, “We’re all now deeply cognizant of our status, our metrics, our potential for micro-fame or outright celebrity.” Fame, once reserved for the select few, became an accessible aspiration for millions, driven by quantifiable engagement data. Even those without the slightest ambition to become internet stars still found themselves obsessing over digital validation. — W. David Marx, Blank Space, 564

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the omnivore monoculture thesis — fame/worth flattening into a universal quantifiable metric parallels taste flattening into everything-consumed.
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — W. David Marx, Blank Space: A Cultural History of the…, 564