Why Brazilian TikToker decided to disappear from the networks at the height of his fame

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Ramon Vitor, 23, became a phenomenon on TikTok last year, with more than 13 million followers. But from May to December this year, he didn’t post any new content on the platform. Ramon Vitor, 23 years old, became a phenomenon on TikTok in 2022 Fernando Otto/BBC News Brasil Ramon Vitor was at his home, in Ilhéus, in the south of Bahia, last year when he realized he was being filmed by an unknown person. He had just left the bathroom, which is outside the house, when he noticed the presence of paparazzi. Episodes like these became common in Ramon’s life thanks to the meteoric fame he achieved with videos he shared on the internet. The clips in which he talked about his daily life had millions of views. He quickly became one of the main Brazilian content creators on TikTok and was even awarded by the social network. Success was a childhood dream, but it became a serious problem for the 23-year-old digital influencer. Ramon was at his peak, but family issues, negative comments on his videos and the invasion of his privacy by some followers made him succumb. The influencer, who months before had participated in important events and advertised for big brands, was left prostrate at home with no perspective on the future. “I was diagnosed with deep depression. I slept 16 to 18 hours a day, because all I wanted was to sleep,” he tells BBC News Brasil. Ramon disappeared from the networks, and followers were worried. There began one of the most difficult periods of his life. He disappeared from the internet for about seven months. Now, he’s back, says he’s recovered and wants to travel the world. SAFE CELL PHONE: see how to use the service to prevent smartphone theft Ramon won TikTok’s most important award category last year Reproduction Phenomenon on social networks Since childhood, Ramon used to record moments of his life. He started publishing videos on the internet around 2013 or 2014, on the now-defunct Vine network. He also has a YouTube channel and has been on TikTok since the social network was launched. But success only came last year, after Ramon moved from Guarulhos, in Greater São Paulo, where he was born, to Ilhéus, in Bahia. “I was raised by my father in São Paulo and I wanted to be closer to my mother, who lives in Ilhéus”, he says. In Bahia, he started to live alone in a small house and felt free for the first time to speak openly that he is homosexual, as he says that some of his family members did not accept his sexuality. “I went for my first kiss when I was 21, because I was scared to death of being who I was,” says the influencer. In Ilhéus, he worked as a waiter in a restaurant and worked as a video editor. In the first video with the greatest impact, he explained why he decided to move to Bahia. From then on, he gained more and more followers with clips in which he talked about his routine at home, his work as a waiter and taught cheap recipes. His irreverent style in the videos won over the public. “I think the world of the internet and influencers has a lot of people with an unattainable reality, you know? People are already very rich. I looked and thought: I can’t relate”, he says. “So, I think a lot of people identified with the things I showed.” With controversies and a saturated market, the ‘bubble’ of influencers burst in 2023 In May of this year, the influencer stopped sharing videos on networks and worried followers Fernando Otto/BBC News Brasil Ramon began to be approached by brands to do advertising. “I used the money from my first big internet job, which was R$6,000, to pay my accumulated bills,” he says. He has done advertising for big brands, such as Casas Bahia, Latam and Fugini. The young man became one of the most successful names on TikTok in Brazil and was elected in December 2022 in an award ceremony from the platform itself, through popular voting, as the “content producer of the year”. But something wasn’t right. The first signs became more evident in the same month that he won the TikTok award, while taking an international trip that he had dreamed of. That’s when he decided to disappear from the networks. How to activate the Instagram feature that disables notifications The problems in the midst of the boom Ramon used to share videos almost daily. But he didn’t publish anything between mid-December last year and January this year. His absence worried his followers. About a month later, Ramon appeared to explain that he had stepped away due to family issues and resumed publishing new videos. On the networks, he reported an episode in which he says he was the victim of aggression from his older brother. “He made a contract that 25% of everything I earned and will earn for the rest of my life I have to give to him,” he said. Ramon said he refused to sign the document and was attacked. BBC News Brasil was unable to contact his brother until this report was completed. But the influencer’s problems were not limited to family issues. He says he was also suffering the negative consequences of fame, such as the countless offensive comments he started receiving about his appearance. ‘I only have sex with women, and my husband only has sex with men’: the couple’s agreement that comes to life with OnlyFans Influencer was successful on the networks sharing videos about his routine at his home in Ilhéus Reproduction What happened to Ramon Vitor? “When I started making money, I wanted to eat things I couldn’t before and I ended up gaining weight,” he says. “A lot of people made comments about my weight, and that bothered me a lot, because I was a fat child and I have trauma from that phase.” He was also scared by the harassment from fans. His home address was discovered, and the place became a tourist spot in Ilhéus for those who follow the influencer. “People were at the door of my house at different times of the day, even early in the morning, you know? I lived alone, my house didn’t even have a wall at the time,” says Ramon. “There was one time when I was sleeping, and someone knocked on my window to take a photo with me. They’ve also chased me on a motorcycle.” He says he led an ordinary life until he became successful on the internet. “But, after (the fame), it changed, I started living a very crazy business. And that was making me scared too,” he says. ‘Lactea Meu Fii’: influencer goes viral after making fun of everyday things “I was afraid of leaving the house or something would happen to me.” In the midst of these episodes, he decided build a wall at home. Many people continued to knock on his door anyway. “There was a follower who went there and asked me for R$30,000 to R$40,000. He was a stranger”, says the influencer. “When I said it wouldn’t work, he threatened me and said: ‘Now, I know your address, I better be careful.'” These situations, associated with family problems and offensive comments on social media, networks, discouraged Ramon from continuing to record the videos. “I always received many beautiful messages and demonstrations of affection. I’m sure a lot of people like me,” he says. “But I understand that there comes a point when you reach a lot of people and you can’t have control.” In a video, Ramon shared what his house looked like during the period he had depression “There was even a rat in the house,” he says. Reproduction Depression and Panic Syndrome In May, Ramon disappeared from the internet for good. “Everything was piling up. It was things in my family, the bad situations with followers and the fear of leaving home. You start to feel insecure.” He says he was diagnosed with depression and panic syndrome. He went days without showering and, at times, he couldn’t even get out of bed. “I reached a point where I, who always I was very zealous and careful with my things, it took me three months to tidy up my house”, he says. “Sometimes, I lay down to sleep, and a mouse passed by my side.” On the networks, a question became common among those who followed the influencer: what happened to Ramon? On his profiles, the influencer received countless messages asking what had happened to him. Several videos and theories tried to explain his disappearance. Ramon says he avoided looking at social media at this time, but he was upset when he saw a lie about his whereabouts. “They even said that I disappeared because I had cancer.” Young man considers that communicating with the public is fundamental to his life Fernando Otto/BBC News Brasil Return to the networks One step at a time. It’s This is how Ramon defines his return to social media. He began undergoing psychological and psychiatric follow-up. He started practicing physical activities and getting back to his routine. Little by little, he got better. “I started taking care of myself again,” he says. Ramon says one of the things he’s most proud of was when he managed to finish cleaning his own house. How to protect yourself from scams that divert PIX copy and paste when purchasing online During the period in which he was away from the networks, he did not carry out any advertising activities. “I had up to three completed projects to do, but I canceled them.” “I didn’t have any money in the world to pay for what I was going through. So I didn’t work for seven months,” he says. He claims that he managed to live during this period with the money he had accumulated from his recent fame. Ramon returned to the networks this week, when he shared a video to announce his return and talk about the problems he faced. In just a few days, the video had more than 12 million views on TikTok and more than 3 million likes. In the comments, many people expressed support for him. “In reality, I never wanted to stop recording, because that was always my dream. I feel fulfilled communicating with people”, he says. “I really stopped because I couldn’t do it. So when I felt ready to go back, I thought, this is it.” Ramon calculates that he has since gained more than 1 million of the 13.3 million followers he has today on TikTok and more than 500 thousand of the 3.1 million followers on Instagram. He is still undergoing treatment and says he wants to start a new phase in his life. In 2024, Ramon wants to travel to different places around the world Reproduction The influencer says he wants to travel the world and share this routine with his followers. At Christmas, he will be in Finland, together with friends, to see in person the sky dyed in sparkling bands of colors by the Northern Lights phenomenon. “I also want to do volunteer work in Africa, teach English to people there or look for some work with wild animals,” he says. He says he has no plans, at least for now, to return to Ilhéus, where his mother was responsible for taking care of his house. “It’s really good to know that things are working out now. People are happy that I’m back.” Is TikTok the new Google? Young people are switching from Google to TikTok when doing research The routine of those who make money from sex videos on the internet Behind the scenes, strategies and routine of those who make a living selling sex videos What the first tests of ‘flying cars’ were like in New York New York carries out first tests with “flying cars”

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