Path to virality veers off course into a new lane

Spontaneous original content, shared by people all over the world, made the Internet a fun place to be. It's more complicated now. — Image by freepik

In May 2016, Candace Payne, a stay-at-home mother from Texas, walked into a Kohl’s department store to return some yoga pants and made a purchase that would change her life.

It was a plastic Chewbacca mask that made noises like the beloved furry “Star Wars” character.