When Popularity on Social Media Exploded, North Texas Teen Had to Rethink His Priorities

Clad in basketball shorts, his favorite red hoodie and a pair of Nikes, Aman Hiremath looks like your typical high school student.But students and teachers at Lebanon Trail High School in Frisco know him by another name: Lil Wiz. Aman, 17, raps under the name on SoundCloud, a popular music platform. He produced two albums that received 25,000 views, enough to qualify for monetizing the account. His success led to newfound fame and popularity at school, including a spot on the homecoming court. But he says it also lifted his feet too far off the ground. "Getting so popular made me think too highly of myself, and I started becoming too arrogant with people," says Aman, a rising senior at Lebanon Trail. He lost some friends, as well as his views online, making him question whether the music was worth what it was doing to his mental state and self-esteem.   Continue reading...