Reality Of Influencers' World | 83% Gen Z Identifies As Creators, Only 2% Earn: Report
Several young people, who left white-collar jobs and businesses to become content creators, are now stuck in a high-pressure influencer economy, in a booming yet complex field. Many who turned to become Instagram influencers, after abandoning the sole source of income, are now experiencing fear and anxiety over their future, a report by the Economic Times pointed out.
The report wonders where the money from around 80 million digital creators in India is going, pointing a finger at the reality that out of the total 83% of Gen Z in the country, who now identify as content creators, only 1.5–2% manage consistent monetisation. The observation of the fact is that despite the surge in creators, very few can make it a sustainable living.
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Recently, several instances have shown the harsh reality of the digital creator’s world, wherein several people took their own lives after declining followers or facing online harassment. The most recent example is the tragic death of Misha Agrawal, a popular Instagram influencer, who died by suicide after allegedly struggling emotionally due to a drop in her follower numbers.
Amid the pressure to grow fast, several creators experience emotional exhaustion. Though it appears cool and glamorous to be influencers, with perks such as gifts, sponsored trips, money and fame, the pressure to keep up the pace with constant engaging posts has taken a toll, which is probably higher than what could be stemming from conventional jobs.
Additionally, the loss of privacy, resource investment and online abuses also lead to burnout and anxiety.
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The emotional cost of chasing validation in a hyper-competitive digital universe could be much bigger than expectations. While original works sometimes struggle to reach targeted audiences, copies and stolen content get viral, angering the creators. Those who work on serious content by investing a lot of time, effort and money often get sidelined, while the funny reels bring higher engagement, reflecting the sources of outbursts from influencers.
Once a person leaves their jobs for content creation, there are no basic job protections anymore: no insurance, no days off, no sick leave, no structure and no HRs.
