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"Perhaps even more shockingly, our study found that Gen Z males (20%) are more likely than females (13%) to believe that being a social media influencer is the

"Perhaps even more shockingly, our study found that Gen Z males (20%) are more likely than females (13%) to believe that being a social media influencer is the only choice of career for them, with almost half of the males surveyed (49%) agree that being a social media influencer is a good career choice."

0xChain 4y ago
Perpetuating hollowness, disingenuousness, and products people don’t need. The future is bleak.
- jwilber 4y ago
  Maybe the current bleak situation of expensive education, unaffordable housing, medical debt, etc. is pushing many in gen z to go for what they see (whether it’s true or not) as their only option?
- zbird 4y ago
  Not to mention all of the surveillance/targeted advertising that happens on these platforms while the "influencers" are busy influencing each other.
- jrumbut 4y ago
  I don't know that it's any bleaker than being an actor, musician, athlete, or any other type of entertainer. It perhaps involves more skills since they might their own sets, photography, cosmetics, scripts, etc plus I think it's easier to achieve a little success compared to trying to make it into the movies. You can generate a following and make a little money to supplement your day job. Not a bad idea and it shows an entrepreneurial spirit.
  - belugacat 4y ago
    Those are questionable parallels. Music, acting, sports, writing, etc are human practices many millenia old, recognized as such by universities, labor unions, etc. Influencing on the other hand is primarily about being an intermediary for platform/advertiser relationships. If one were to stretch things a bit, I guess you could say they're performers deriving their income from private companies. But even then there's probably still a little bit of a difference between a theater actor performing a role in MacBeth and a teen getting a commission off sneakers they advertise on Tiktok.
    - jrumbut 4y ago
      Why do people watch them? Because they're acting, singing, performing stunts, telling jokes, modeling, etc. The guy who will play Macbeth in 2042 is doing TikTok dances now (or he was a couple years ago I'm behind on the trends).
    - wiseowise 4y ago
      > Those are questionable parallels. Music, acting, sports, writing, etc are human practices many millenia old, recognized as such by universities, labor unions, etc. We’re they delivered to us by aliens? Of course not, people thought the same of those at the time of their inception.
    - bawolff 4y ago
      Do you really think over produced pop idols of yesteryear actually had talent? They also shilled like nothing else. Hell, late night shows were basically exercises in shilling with some jokes stuffed between.
  - nibbleshifter 4y ago
    Usually if you are intending to even remotely succeed as a musician, athlete, actor, etc these days - you basically have to become an "influencer" by default to succeed today. I know a few coaches for certain sports for whom Instagram and Tiktok are now far superior ways to acquiring new clients than word of mouth or similar - all their competition has adopted influencer marketing tactics (with themselves marketing themselves), so its evolve or die.
- bsder 4y ago
  Did you not note the "only" in that sentence? When 1 in 5 of your males and 1 in 10 of your females believe that being a parasite is the only available career choice, something is very wrong. This isn't on the influencers. This is on a whole lot of people in the US who have continuously trampled on those less fortunate than them to the point where there is nothing left at the bottom but despair.
  - wiseowise 4y ago
    > When 1 in 5 of your males and 1 in 10 of your females believe that being a parasite is the only available career choice, something is very wrong. They provide entertainment to people, what makes you consider them parasites?
    - bsder 4y ago
      Those simply providing entertainment to people do not refer to themselves as "influencers".
      - 0xChain 4y ago
        Exactly. The reason they’re called “influencers” at all is because their purpose is to influence you, whether with an idea and/or purchase decision. Any part that’s entertainment is just an add on. The entire trend originated from Instagram where people would show products they “use” as part of sponsored posts. This level of hollowness is part of the cause of the downfall of streamer Ninja. The originality and audience were neglected for profit.
- wiseowise 4y ago
  > Perpetuating hollowness, disingenuousness And you don’t?
cjbgkagh 4y ago
Maybe some of the young ladies are considering a career on onlyfans?
- collegeburner 4y ago
  you joke but its scary how many girls my age think its not a career but a way to make extra $. they don't realize the kind of impact that will have on professional possibilities (let alone marriage prospects) but i guess that's their problem. anyway it's lowkey funny when i hear them whining about "why is my of a dealbreaker for boyfriends, they shouldn't care"
  - cjbgkagh 4y ago
    Oh no, it wasn’t a joke. I know a lot of young ladies that went down that path. That and sugar babies. I think it’s unfortunate but they’ve been advertised a lifestyle they can’t afford and this is a reliable way to get it. I also have a few exs that went on to sleep with old rich men - the old fashioned alternative. I would rather these were not alternatives to them or that they would at least not chose it but alas I don’t get to design society.
    - prox 4y ago
      You just reminded me of an idea of a game/sim : a cross between sims and sim city where you craft/design society. You set rules like in Rimworlds ideologies and see how it evolves.
  - kredd 4y ago
    It’s actually interesting how different it is in my circles! I know quite a few people that have been through the same path (different reasons and circumstances), but now they’re in happy relationships. Personally, that’s never been a moral dealbreaker for me, and it isn’t for most of my friends either. Life is weird and if “immoral work” is a way out for them, then good for them! It’s not an easy work, much harder on your psyche than the usual engineering work that we do.
tamrix 4y ago
You know I thought this initially but at the rate people are consuming social media, they're not really wrong. It only happened if it's posted om social media, is kind of stupid but unfortunate reality. I hate it to death but it is 98% of the internet for most people.

0xChain 4y ago

Perpetuating hollowness, disingenuousness, and products people don’t need. The future is bleak.

jwilber 4y ago
Maybe the current bleak situation of expensive education, unaffordable housing, medical debt, etc. is pushing many in gen z to go for what they see (whether it’s true or not) as their only option?
zbird 4y ago
Not to mention all of the surveillance/targeted advertising that happens on these platforms while the "influencers" are busy influencing each other.
jrumbut 4y ago
I don't know that it's any bleaker than being an actor, musician, athlete, or any other type of entertainer. It perhaps involves more skills since they might their own sets, photography, cosmetics, scripts, etc plus I think it's easier to achieve a little success compared to trying to make it into the movies. You can generate a following and make a little money to supplement your day job. Not a bad idea and it shows an entrepreneurial spirit.
- belugacat 4y ago
  Those are questionable parallels. Music, acting, sports, writing, etc are human practices many millenia old, recognized as such by universities, labor unions, etc. Influencing on the other hand is primarily about being an intermediary for platform/advertiser relationships. If one were to stretch things a bit, I guess you could say they're performers deriving their income from private companies. But even then there's probably still a little bit of a difference between a theater actor performing a role in MacBeth and a teen getting a commission off sneakers they advertise on Tiktok.
  - jrumbut 4y ago
    Why do people watch them? Because they're acting, singing, performing stunts, telling jokes, modeling, etc. The guy who will play Macbeth in 2042 is doing TikTok dances now (or he was a couple years ago I'm behind on the trends).
  - wiseowise 4y ago
    > Those are questionable parallels. Music, acting, sports, writing, etc are human practices many millenia old, recognized as such by universities, labor unions, etc. We’re they delivered to us by aliens? Of course not, people thought the same of those at the time of their inception.
  - bawolff 4y ago
    Do you really think over produced pop idols of yesteryear actually had talent? They also shilled like nothing else. Hell, late night shows were basically exercises in shilling with some jokes stuffed between.
- nibbleshifter 4y ago
  Usually if you are intending to even remotely succeed as a musician, athlete, actor, etc these days - you basically have to become an "influencer" by default to succeed today. I know a few coaches for certain sports for whom Instagram and Tiktok are now far superior ways to acquiring new clients than word of mouth or similar - all their competition has adopted influencer marketing tactics (with themselves marketing themselves), so its evolve or die.
bsder 4y ago
Did you not note the "only" in that sentence? When 1 in 5 of your males and 1 in 10 of your females believe that being a parasite is the only available career choice, something is very wrong. This isn't on the influencers. This is on a whole lot of people in the US who have continuously trampled on those less fortunate than them to the point where there is nothing left at the bottom but despair.
- wiseowise 4y ago
  > When 1 in 5 of your males and 1 in 10 of your females believe that being a parasite is the only available career choice, something is very wrong. They provide entertainment to people, what makes you consider them parasites?
  - bsder 4y ago
    Those simply providing entertainment to people do not refer to themselves as "influencers".
    - 0xChain 4y ago
      Exactly. The reason they’re called “influencers” at all is because their purpose is to influence you, whether with an idea and/or purchase decision. Any part that’s entertainment is just an add on. The entire trend originated from Instagram where people would show products they “use” as part of sponsored posts. This level of hollowness is part of the cause of the downfall of streamer Ninja. The originality and audience were neglected for profit.
wiseowise 4y ago
> Perpetuating hollowness, disingenuousness And you don’t?

cjbgkagh 4y ago

Maybe some of the young ladies are considering a career on onlyfans?

collegeburner 4y ago
you joke but its scary how many girls my age think its not a career but a way to make extra $. they don't realize the kind of impact that will have on professional possibilities (let alone marriage prospects) but i guess that's their problem. anyway it's lowkey funny when i hear them whining about "why is my of a dealbreaker for boyfriends, they shouldn't care"
- cjbgkagh 4y ago
  Oh no, it wasn’t a joke. I know a lot of young ladies that went down that path. That and sugar babies. I think it’s unfortunate but they’ve been advertised a lifestyle they can’t afford and this is a reliable way to get it. I also have a few exs that went on to sleep with old rich men - the old fashioned alternative. I would rather these were not alternatives to them or that they would at least not chose it but alas I don’t get to design society.
  - prox 4y ago
    You just reminded me of an idea of a game/sim : a cross between sims and sim city where you craft/design society. You set rules like in Rimworlds ideologies and see how it evolves.
- kredd 4y ago
  It’s actually interesting how different it is in my circles! I know quite a few people that have been through the same path (different reasons and circumstances), but now they’re in happy relationships. Personally, that’s never been a moral dealbreaker for me, and it isn’t for most of my friends either. Life is weird and if “immoral work” is a way out for them, then good for them! It’s not an easy work, much harder on your psyche than the usual engineering work that we do.

tamrix 4y ago

You know I thought this initially but at the rate people are consuming social media, they're not really wrong. It only happened if it's posted om social media, is kind of stupid but unfortunate reality. I hate it to death but it is 98% of the internet for most people.