New Jersey toddler goes viral on social media with thick Jersey accent
FREEHOLD, N.J. -- A New Jersey toddler has gone viral thanks to her thick Jersey accent.
The little girl, named Gia, is a regular guest in her aunt's social media videos, which have gained millions of views on TikTok and Instagram.
It's no surprise people love the clips, including one that has been seen by 22 million people on TikTok alone.
"So my niece has an accent. So I'm going to say the words without an accent to show you all. You ready Gia?" her aunt, Elaina Christina, says.
This isn't Christina's first big viral moment. In addition to her fulltime job in credit card processing, she has been a content creator for a while. She posts two hilarious videos a day, which have led to branding deals and even acting auditions.
More than than, it allows her to show off her Italian-American and Jersey pride.
"The people from New Jersey definitely have a certain pride for our state, on top of being Italian-American. And then we have the accent all wrapped up to it," Christina said.
Christina is part of a massive economy of content creators. LinkedIn says there are 27 million paid creators in the U.S. alone.
The whole family gets into it -- from mom to grandma Phyllis, who helps with the brainstorming.
"You get a little scared at first, because you know everybody's seeing it. But I think it's great," said the grandmother. "I love my granddaughter being on there, and I love my daughter what she does."
Content creators run on their own schedules, and 2-year-old Gia is no exception. When our shoot came dangerously close to nap time, she gathered her things and exited stage right.
Turns out, even New Jersey princesses need their beauty sleep.