Ben Hampton - Instagram Star, Family and Childhood

After Ben Hampton was born, his mother, Stephanie Hampton, who loved to dress up the baby with OshKosh B’gosh and SpongeBob T-shirts, decided to go all out on social media. Pictures of his coordinated outfits on his parents' Instagram profiles became so popular that they eventually decided to create a separate profile for him. They kick-started his social media journey by uploading a photo of him at his kindergarten graduation in February 2017. Thanks to his father's connections in the social media circle due to his job as a social media consultant, he bagged collaboration opportunities with renowned YouTube star Jake Paul and soon became more than just another well-dressed kid on the internet.

Ben Hampton first gained media attention in December 2017 after he joined Paul's social media squad 'Team 10'. He then began appearing alongside Paul on several social media platforms including Instagram and YouTube. Within a few months, the kid has amassed huge fan following on Instagram, YouTube and Twitter. His social media fame has also spilled into his real life, as he is easily recognized by people while going out and is often overwhelmed by requests for selfies by fans. In fact, even though he is just learning to read and write, and can't sign his name yet, he had to scribble his initials on fans' iPhone cases, sweatshirts and shoes at a pop-up shop in Los Angeles in December 2017.

Ben Hampton began watching hours of YouTube videos on toy reviews when he was only two years old. As he passed kindergarten and entered first grade, he became more interested in gaming videos and started watching vlogs by gaming streamers and other popular creators as well. As such, he was well aware of the platform long before he became famous on YouTube. While his early rise to fame was on Instagram, when asked about his lifelong goal in a vlog video, the then-six-year-old prodigy confidently faced the camera and said that he wanted to become a famous YouTuber. His father has already laid out the groundwork by helping him rub shoulders with top personalities in the industry.

Ben Hampton’s videos are also professionally made, with a videographer from his father's production company shooting and editing them before they are uploaded to the internet. His mother is responsible for preparing him with the best outfits and looks for the occasion, photos from which they often share on his Instagram profile as teasers for what is about to come. Nevertheless, according to his father, the base concepts are all Ben's own. His father mentioned in an interview that they are well-aware that as Ben grows up, he will need to be prepared to face negativity on the internet as well. He also emphasized that Ben is free to stop all these anytime if he wanted to, as this is not a business model for them. He added that they want to nurture the natural entertainer in him, and doesn't want him to take "pictures in clothes that his mom picks out when he’s 13".

Ben Hampton was born on May 9, 2011 in Fresno, California to Branden and Stephanie Hampton. He has two older siblings. His father is a social media consultant, who primarily runs most of Ben's social media accounts, with help from his mother as well. Ben earned online fame in 2017 while still studying in the first grade. However, despite his rapidly growing popularity as a social media star, his parents go to great lengths to keep his life normal. He now attends a public elementary school in Fresno. His after-school activities include participating in a soccer league and taking dance lessons, including jazz, hip hop, and ballet.