Kylan Darnell’s rise from a dorm-room outfit video to a household name in RushTok has become a striking moment in the online culture surrounding sorority recruitment. The Alabama freshman who filmed her first recruitment day on August 6, 2022—dressed in Gucci-pattern shorts, a Zara top and a stack of luxury-branded bracelets—launched a persona that would define her online presence for years. Her early clips, including the “OOTD” update that said, “Hey y’all, today is the first day of Bama Rush and I am so excited,” helped propel her into a spotlight that now attracts millions of followers and brand partnerships as she joined Zeta Tau Alpha at the University of Alabama.
Nearly four years and more than a million followers later, Darnell’s not just an online personality; she’s become a focal point in the broader conversation about the pressures of rush culture and online fame. Behind the sponsorships, elaborate costumes and choreographed moments, the toll of maintaining a perfect public image began to wear on her. In a candid Aug. 11 video, she revealed she was taking a break from the recruitment process to focus on her mental health, saying, “I’m in a mental health spot where I’ve been struggling… if I was to go on there and show these outfits and like, keep going, I would be lying to you guys and myself.”
RushTok and a cultural phenomenon
RushTok emerged as a defining corner of social media in the recruitment season, amplified by rounds of outfits, hours-on-end schedules and dramatic Bid Day reveals. The trend, which gained particular momentum from the University of Alabama, has grown into a broader media interest, even spurring a 2023 HBO Max documentary and a Lifetime special, “A Sorority Mom’s Guide to Rush!” The phenomenon has reshaped public expectations around what recruitment life looks like, making the “perfect” moments feel almost cinematic.
Darnell’s experience—while authentic to her own journey—also highlighted how online narratives can diverge from reality. When she first entered rush, she did so without guidance on social media norms or how reputations between houses could shape the experience. “Whenever I go back and watch the rush videos, I kind of want to cry every time I watch them, because I look so scared,” she recalls.
The process is physically and emotionally demanding. Recruitment days often begin in the early hours, with students carrying rush bags packed with essentials—mints, bobby pins, dry shampoo, perfume, fans, chargers, Advil and deodorant—to power through a marathon schedule of house visits and conversations. Trisha Addicks, a rush consultant, notes the toll on self-esteem: “You have to process what sororities you’re invited back to, also process some disappointment, a lot of times, and get ready to go and be positive and open minded for eight hours.” Addicks, who rushed in 1986 at the University of Georgia, remembers the sting of rejection and the long shadow it can cast.
What’s online isn’t the full story
As the online coverage intensified, so did questions about the gap between the polished content and the complex emotions of real life. Addicks emphasizes that the highlight reels can intensify insecurity when viewers compare themselves to curated moments. Darnell herself cautions that the online portrayal can create unrealistic expectations for younger participants in the process.
Yet for Darnell, the rush experience was deeply personal in several ways. She entered the process as the first woman in her family to go through rush, and she admits she was “completely clueless” about social-media dynamics and inter-house reputations. Her openness about the fear she felt watching her own past videos underscores the real humanity behind the posts.
A family story and a step back
The conversation around Darnell’s journey extended to her sister Izzy, who is also a freshman at Alabama and has more than a million followers. Izzy documented her recruitment week before ultimately revealing she had dropped out of the process. The online scrutiny affecting Izzy and the ripple effects on their family prompted Darnell to step back to protect her sister from online harassment. “It’s hard to watch any family member get picked on,” she says, describing her role as a protecter in the moment.
Darnell reassessed her own online presence and the line between branding and personal well-being. She clarified that she has not left Zeta Tau Alpha, but she has chosen to pull back from posting on rush-related content in response to the negativity directed at her sister and the broader online comments.
Looking ahead
Now a senior, Darnell is thinking about life after college and pursuing sports broadcasting, aiming to blend her on-camera experience with a professional future beyond college sorority life. The experience has given her a nuanced view of self-confidence and identity online. She notes that the biggest lesson she’d share with her freshman self is to savor being a freshman and not take everything to heart, even as she acknowledges the value of hard-earned confidence and resilience.
What this means for creators and colleges
Darnell’s story sits at the intersection of youth, fame and mental health. It underscores the importance of mindfulness around online portrayals, the impact of public scrutiny on family members, and the need for balance between personal well-being and public personas. For students navigating rush culture or any high-visibility online space, it’s a reminder that real support systems—whether in campus counseling services or trusted friends and family—are essential to sustain well-being in the midst of intense public attention.
A hopeful note
Even as the pressures of RushTok continue to shape the decade’s college experiences, stories like Darnell’s highlight a growing emphasis on authenticity and mental health. The broader conversation has already begun to shift toward more mindful posting, more realistic portrayals, and a recognition that fame on social platforms is not a true substitute for personal well-being or real-world connection. For Darnell and others walking this path, the future can be shaped by resilience, curiosity and a renewed focus on life beyond the screen.