Summer Clayton is not your ordinary dad. In fact, he’s a father figure to more than 2.5 million kids and counting.
While others are looking for their viral moment on TikTok, Clayton has used social media as a tool to reach those who crave fatherly love, or anyone who just finds themselves wanting someone to talk to.
He’s created content of the wholesome kind and quickly went on to amass a strong following of millions of subscribers.
Clayton does a weekly post called “Dinner with Dad”. The premise is simple – he puts out two plates of food, says a prayer and looks directly at the camera, saying “Hey, how are you doing?” and waits for you to answer.
@yourprouddad Happy Friday❤️
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He then asks how your week’s been and tells you to give him one good thing and one bad thing about the week.
Clayton’s sincerity when talking makes you want to open up to him. The cherry on the cake is after each “Dinner with Dad”, he ends off with “I love you”.
But it’s not only Clayton’s “Dinner with Dad” series that has people flocking to his channel. He provides practical advice like how to tie a tie or how to shave.
And there’s an adorable post titled “Night drives with Dad” with Clayton stopping at a drive-through and getting fast food, because that right there is a family institution.
It’s posts like these that resonate with people because they’re so relatable. It came at a time when global lockdown meant many of us didn’t get to see loved ones or lost those closest to us.
In a South African context, it’s even more jarring as absent fathers are a reality, causing generational trauma.
@yourprouddad Happy Wednesday ❤️ Full video on IG:)
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You could compare his concept to Rob Kenney, the Seattle dad who became famous at the start of the pandemic with his “Dad, how do I?” YouTube channel.
Kenney released his first video shortly after the pandemic was declared. Less than two months after his first post, he surpassed 1 million subscribers.
“It was terrifying,” he told the Washington Post. “At first, I didn't look at it as a great thing.”