Kiam_films, Maik, is Trinity’s latest social media sensation. You might recognise him from your reels feed, vlogging his day filled with collaborations with Trinity’s societies, drinking at the Pav, and representing Trinity Sport. His catchphrase “Follow me!” from his video introductions has become common lingo on campus.
The University Times had the opportunity to sit down with Maik and discuss his not-so-newfound fame and his life as a Big Name on Campus (BNOC), with our discussion turning into a heartfelt and, at times, philosophical discussion on his life.
We began with Maik’s history of posting on social media. He started on YouTube in 2020 as an interviewer, talking to people of different backgrounds and professions. When asked about his motivations for starting a social media career, he said, “I started doing online content because I was afraid to talk in front of a camera […]” A constant theme in his answers was going outside his comfort zone to attempt new activities. The switch from talking about other people to himself came later in his career. “I always talk about other people, so I started doing daily vlogs when I started my bachelor’s degree […] at Utrecht University.” “You have to confront yourself with your fears, and my approach is to overcome your fears in front of the whole world.”
His first introduction to fame was during his exchange at Warwick University, which he visited during the recent Reading Week. “I did regular vlogs when I moved to the UK for my exchange semester at Warwick University. So I did daily vlogs as I do here.” In his own words, his content at Warwick University “blew up”, and he described it as “crazy.” His first big video was titled, “How do I make friends in the UK?” and amassed around 440,000 views on Instagram and TikTok. The tangibility of his success came during a competition hosted by Warwick’s gossip website: “It wasn’t an official competition, but it was called ‘The Biggest Big Name on Campus’ on a gossip website called Warwick Tea. […] people voted for me for ‘the Biggest Big Name on Campus.’ In the first year, I got first place and received over a thousand votes in three rounds. It was insane. In the second year, I didn’t even go there anymore; I just visited my friends. And I got second place.” His success at Warwick primed him for Trinity, although his influence here is even larger. Speaking on the impacts of his time at Warwick: “I’m grateful for that because it’s a great community […]”
When asked about his expectations for success upon starting out, he said, “I’m not doing it for popularity. The main purpose of the videos is to document my own life because if you get older, you start forgetting stuff — dementia — and I’m able to look back to my daily routines […] and know what I did.” He succinctly put it as “a library of my own life.” His expectations for his videos were the same as those of his life: “If people do not like it, I’m okay with that as well. Nobody has to like me. Nobody has to love me. I just want to be accepted. That’s all I want in life.”
One must wonder what campus life would be as a known figure. Few have this privilege; speaking to Maik, I asked how his experience at Trinity was altered by being a campus celebrity. One of his main examples of this experience was the many opportunities he received, such as his job as the Trinity Sport social media student ambassador. “[…] they received many great applications, as they told me, and there were many great, qualified people. But I believe my videos helped me stand out.” Another collaboration he highlighted was the one with the Trinitones, which eventually inspired his bathroom ranking video. “ I recorded the collaboration with [the Trinitones] in the bathroom and made the joke that I could make a bathroom ranking, and that is how it happened.”
However, Maik did contemplate the potential downsides of his Instagram fame. “One of the bad things that could happen: I meet many great people just through Instagram.” But so far, his experience of this was positive, as he mentioned his friends he regularly goes on sea swims with. On his favourite part of Trinity, “I see community. They are all very, very kind. They accept you as who you are. […] It’s a community, it’s a people. Because what is college without the people?” Italian society, of which he is an OCM, was described as giving him a “safe space.”
When asked about future plans he had for reels, Maik said, “I do not plan that far to be very honest”, but some potential ideas included more ranking videos on either libraries or food places. He also wanted to ask the community what rankings they’d like to see. He then spoke excitedly of his desire to be a Rose of Movember, “I still haven’t received confirmation […] but I have great ideas on how to raise money.” A few days after the interview, while chatting to him at the Arts Block, he revealed that he had, in fact, been chosen to be a Rose.
Then, more of his life’s philosophy was revealed as he advised up-and-coming content creators. “Whenever you do content, be yourself. Don’t try to be someone else because people will see if you try to hide your own identity. Your authentic self is your true self. And if you need a break, take a break.” Circling back to his main purpose of his content creation, he reiterated “[…] don’t do it for the fame. Don’t do it for the popularity. Popularity and fame come and go, and this is not what matters in life. […] As I said earlier, I’m doing the whole social media thing, not for the fame. I’m not doing it for the popularity.”
“What matters in life is interactions with people.” He delved into his personal life and the root cause of these sentiments. “Maybe I just want to be accepted by people because when I was younger, I was not really accepted by the people in school. I’m talking about my primary school, secondary school, and high school experience. […] I was always like an outsider. So my dream was always being accepted.”
In the same vein, Maik spoke about his plans for the future and incorporating content creation with his Masters in Education with a pathway in inclusive education. “I would like to provide educational resources for people with disabilities. But a resource that you can actually use in a classroom for all, not only people with disabilities, but also for regular students.” An example he used to illustrate this was subtitles, which were developed for deaf people but later evolved to be useful for general audiences. “I still have to figure out my path,” he said, but described a digital platform or another form of educational resource as tentative plans. His path, he said, was shown to him by the opportunities he was presented with: “life just shows you your pathway; you just have to take the opportunities that are given to you. And this is my life philosophy.” Coming from a special needs school himself made Maik decide to study inclusive education. He heard all his life, “you will only work in low-paying jobs,” as a stereotype. “A lot of people say you can’t do it. Don’t listen to them, honestly.” Despite his many negative experiences with people’s beliefs about him, his strength also came from the people in his life. “[…] there will always be people who try to break you, or they don’t want to see you succeed. Sometimes you have to let these people go, but I always believe you find the right people.” Social media presented him with the potential to meet people and make community: “Look out for the people who talk to you. There might be a possible friend around you that you don’t know.”
He analogised this with a reference from a Barbie movie: “‘I saved these seats for the friends that I haven’t met yet.’ I remember that phrase significantly because it keeps the space open for the people you haven’t met yet. […] People will come.”
As with most things in life, an opportunity was presented to Maik in the form of events at Trinity, and he seized them. “Let’s take, for instance, the Hist. I went to the Hist just to watch the debate, and at some point, I started going to the Maidens. […] I’ve never done public speaking before, and it was actually great because I left my comfort zone and it’s not always easy.”
While speaking generally, he emphasised the importance of being active, “what I mean by ‘be active’ is what people see in my everyday life in my content. I actually wake up at 8. If you wake up early and finish your day late, do as many activities as you can. You automatically feel productive. […] Even if you’re out all day and you don’t do much, you are automatically productive through being outside.”
As we finished up, Maik summarised our interview in a few salient sentences: “I do not believe in the idea of fame. I do not believe in the idea of popularity. I believe in the idea of meeting people, being accepted, and just living your best life. Even if other people don’t like you, what do you do?”
He also asked to include the following for University Times readers: “I’m a yapper, I love talking to people, and I love to meet new people. I’m a very open person, and people can approach me whenever they want. […] Always approach me if you want to be in a video. There might be an opportunity.”
