Cameron Dallas is at Louisiana Airport en route to LA for Wonderland’s cover shoot. I’ve finally managed to schedule some quality time with the wildly busy 21-year-old social media sensation and we’re deep in discussion about his rapid rise to Internet fame. Suddenly, Dallas is told by an air stewardess that he’s about to miss his flight. Panic ensues. He makes a dash for the plane, still clutching his phone. “They were waiting just for me,” Dallas exclaims between hurried breaths. “I’ve made it!” he shouts with evident relief. The line goes dead. It’s pretty convenient to have fame on your side, right? Andy Warhol may have prophesised that everyone would be world-famous for 15 minutes, but it took Cameron Dallas just six seconds, the duration of a Vine video clip, to propel himself into the public eye.

You may not have heard of Dallas, or “Cam” as he introduces himself, but online he’s undoubtedly a Big Deal: just ask one of his 28 million followers, spanning Twitter, Vine, YouTube and Instagram. Dallas describes social media as “fun”, but this was no chance success on his part. Setting up his Instagram account back in 2011 (contrary to what he describes to me as “popular belief ”, it was Insta-fame that kicked off his career rather than Vine), Dallas knew he wanted to use it to market himself. “I studied the platform, I learnt what it meant to have followers and how to create my own brand, which was really cool to me. I wanted to be my own boss.” Gradually, Dallas’ Insta- followers crept from 200 to 1,000 to 100,000 and, realising the potential of his venture, he decided to bring his newfound following across to Twitter and YouTube. “I made specific content for each platform,” he explains to me. “I’m very analytical, I studied it all in depth.” Studying? I wish the same could be said of my approach to drunken Instagram selfies.

Dallas’ social accounts are, contrary to the serious character I meet over the phone, fun. In the run-up to our call, I visit his YouTube channel. My favourite clip involves Dallas, his mum, lots of silly string, a coconut shell bra and hundreds of boxes of fanmail. The video is perfectly edited, with text overlay, witty song interjections and slow-mo dancing. It has over five million views. Was Internet domination always the plan I wonder? “I definitely tried to make it happen, but I do think with this generation… I think nowadays it’s a lot more obtainable for people to actually go and do what they want — they have a bigger and better chance of achieving it on their own.”

Generational or not, Dallas has a business mind that far exceeds his age, something which is evident when he analyses his success. “Vine was really, really hot when it came out,” he explains. “I moved my main posting over there and took advantage of it.” His six-second videos are pretty hilarious – if you’re into pranks, that is. He’s a goofy Beano character for the Insta-gen: a Bash Street Kid up to no good and available in a variety of #filters.

With a fanbase made up of predominantly teen girls, it can’t hurt that he looks like a T4 version of Justin Bieber, too.Were teenage girls the demographic he’d intended to appeal to? “I don’t see who else I could target myself at,” he responds swiftly.“It’s not like I go on loads of boring camping trips with my dad.” Ouch.