Kat Harlton
Photos: Provided via artist/PR Team
Often referred to as the “Voice of Gen Z”, Dai Time is a teen entrepreneur, celebrity correspondent, college student and digital media creator with over 1.5 million followers across platforms. As a young girl, Dai first went viral at 6 years old, with her hit song “My TuTu“, which led to her writing and publishing an eponymous, best selling children’s book, before launching a wildly successful literary tour encouraging thousands of children across the country to read.
In 2017, Dai started her own quarterly magazine, titled “Dai Time Magazine“, aimed at empowering and uplifting young and diverse voices. Dai currently serves as the creator, executive producer and host of her own weekly talk show called, “It’s Dai Time“, which covers all things Gen Z and pop culture. The series was created in conjunction with Snapchat’s 523 accelerator program, which focuses on growing and building diverse voices.
Most recently, Dai hosted Ebony Magazine’s HBCU Yard Fest, covered the red carpet for major events such as the NAACP Image Awards and Disney’s Inside Out 2 World Premiere and was even personally invited by President Joe Biden to attend the Black Excellence Brunch at the White House. At just 18 years of age, Dai is currently in her sophomore year of college, studying journalism.
I had the opportunity to chat with Dai Time about the challenges facing Gen Z, how young people can navigate the pressures of social media, how we can all elevate diverse voices, and more.
Kat: How do you manage to balance your busy career while being a full-time college student?
Dai Time: It’s crazy to say but there is no method to my madness, (even though there should be). Honestly, every day is different. Some days are more free, while others are a lot more strict with homework, deadlines, or events to attend. I just take it day by day, and try to prioritize more time sensitive tasks before getting to other ones that don’t have as much urgency.
Kat: What strategies do you use to stay organized and maintain your mental well-being amidst such a demanding schedule?
Dai Time: I keep it pretty basic with my organization strategies and try to really hone in with how I am feeling. So for me that usually means taking lots of time to myself when I can; whether that’s to hang with friends, play my favorite game online or do pilates, to make sure when it’s time to hop back into the grind, I’m physically and mentally ready to go. It definitely gets rough some weeks, especially because of the added weight of being a full-time college student, however, I am really grateful to have a great support system to help me through those times.
Kat: What do you think are the biggest challenges facing Gen Z today?
Dai Time: I feel like for Gen Z, a lot of us are facing a challenge with asking for help pertaining to mental health. We’re used to getting things on our own, and being strong, creative forces however, when we go through personal things, I feel like a lot of my peers find shame in asking for help on how to overcome them, which I find is a problem that needs more attention because mental health is EVERYTHING! I’ve been trying to do my part through my platform by sharing inspiring quotes and also being transparent about my own journey with my mental health and even when I go through my own personal problems that are common in my generation.
Kat: How can young people effectively navigate the pressures of social media and prioritize their mental health?
Dai Time: I believe social media is one of my generation’s greatest gifts, and one of the worst as well. As someone who has experienced both the good and bad effects of being a social media user, I know how easy it is to let it dictate you in real life. What helped me through the hard times of building a healthier relationship with social media was reminding myself that in most cases, social media is fake and is not always how it appears. Through my own experience with dealing with acne and being on social media I was able to build a platform that shows more relatability to my peers. I showed my audience the problems we are ALL facing like acne, to not only let them know that these problems are normal, but that they have a peer through that time as well who IS experiencing the same thing.
Kat: Why is it important for you to use your platform to elevate young and diverse voices?
Dai Time: My generation is so powerful, and we have the capacity to do great things and shape the world even as growing young adults. I use my platform to not only remind my peers of that power, but to also be a friend in the process to keep them striving for greatness.
Kat: You’ve been very transparent about your difficult acne journey. Why do you believe it’s important to cultivate authenticity online?
Dai Time: Early 2024, I faced a horrible deal of acne which was already a scarring experience for my mental and physical health. That experience became worse for me when I looked to social media to look for guidance through that time and saw no one online sharing their own experiences, even though acne is a severely common experience especially for my generation. I was then inspired to make my platform an open space to talk about my acne journey and even share my progress in real time, with no filters and lots of trigger warnings. In the end, this was an experience I would never change because I connected with so many of my supporters who WERE going through the same thing, sharing things I had learned along the way and I had even inspired them to be more confident during their dark time. Since then, I’ve made a great effort to continue being that source to make my peers feel seen and inspire them to keep going by authentically being ALL of myself online to show that we as a generation have no original experiences.
Kat: How can the industry better support and nurture young talent?
Dai Time: Make more room for creative Gen Z voices. I fear Generation Z lacks representation in the industry, so creating more spaces for us to thrive creatively and make an impact would be the best way to support us.
Kat: What are your future goals and aspirations for DT Entertainment and your other ventures?
Dai Time: I’ve always been a dreamer, so I just want to continue dreaming big for myself and DT Entertainment. A future goal of mine is to start a podcast, which I can hopefully achieve this year in addition to continuing to make an impact and represent my generation.
Kat: Can you tell us about your experience working on the 6th season of “It’s Dai Time”?
Dai Time: “It’s Dai Time Show” is actually one of my favorite projects to work on every week because there’s always something new to cover. I love when I get to drop details about new skincare/beauty products because that’s just my favorite type of episode to research on, but I also enjoy being able to have yet another platform where I can find new ways to connect with my generation.
Kat: What can viewers expect from this new season, and how does it differ from previous ones?
Dai Time: Every season is different with “It’s Dai Time Show,” and it’s all because we as a generation are changing as the seasons go on. Because my show is made by me, a true Gen Z’er you can definitely tell the content is a reflection of our generation. With that being said, as we evolve, so does my show, always offering peak news and updates for my peers.
Connect With Dai Time: linktr.ee/daitime