Submitted by Darryl
Even in the Land of Opportunity, there has long existed an undercurrent of discontent with the capitalist economy. In recent years, the high levels of inequality and the immense gulf between billionaires and the disadvantaged poor have been illuminated by the floodlights of Covid-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement.
With less disposable income and thousands of dollars of student debt, many millennials have lost their patience with the traditional trickle-down corporate economy. Americans increasingly desire an economic system with more equitable outcomes; where people are paid a liveable wage, taxed proportionately to their wealth, and provided with social benefits available in most other affluent Western countries.
Part of this is the move away from working for the Man. Folks are no longer content with slogging 40 hours a week with minimal remuneration just to help their bosses buy another mansion. There has been a societal shift towards seeking vocational fulfillment and control over how we spend our time. This includes being able to fully live out our identities and convey our values through the work that we do. People want freedom of expression while they work towards financial freedom.
Enter the Creator
With the exponential growth of social media platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok, people on one side of a smartphone screen can now interact with tens of thousands of others across the world. Pair this with better smartphone cameras, faster mobile connections, and free video editing software like iMovie for Windows, and anyone can start being a creator.
The creator economy is defined as the class of business encompassing millions of individuals and the software and finance tools that revolve around monetizing their content. Contributors to the creator economy are not only the creators of original content, but also those that redistribute this content, including bloggers, commentators, video editors, and community curators.
Despite the creator economy being in its infancy, over 50 million people across the globe consider themselves creators. Out of these, there are approximately two million who are classed as professional creators who make a living by producing content full-time. Being able to pursue your interests while getting rich is the new American dream, so it is no wonder that kids these days would rather be the next YouTube star than an astronaut when they grow up.
So, how much can one realistically make as a content creator? As with most emerging economies, there is no fixed formula. Katie Feeney, an 18-year-old high school senior, made over a million dollars posting unboxing and lifestyle videos on Snapchat’s Spotlight. Meanwhile, Julian Shaw, an actor and personal trainer used OnlyFans to make mental health sexy while earning enough to replace his pre-pandemic income and repay his $18,000 credit card debt.
To the Left, to the Left
Even as the creator economy is estimated to be worth around 104.2 billion, many creators use these platforms for activism and education instead of solely for income. The Cranky Vegan, for instance, maintains an Anti-Patreon Patreon Club, whereby all monthly income from Patreon is donated to an animal sanctuary chosen by subscribers.
As many young people turn to social media to seek ideological clarity and political solutions to legitimate grievances, there are concerns of extreme right-wing radicalization such as those that fueled the attempted insurrection of the Capitol. To counter the reactionary right, left-leaning political content creators that used to be confined to niche communities are now publishing more content than ever.
The most prolific of these is a group of content creators who go by the moniker BreadTube, an adorable allusion to 19th-century anarcho-socialist writer Peter Kropotkin’s book, The Conquest of Bread. BreadTube creators produce video lectures to politically educate viewers on a wide variety of topics, ranging from social justice, sexuality, gender identity, and climate change. These social and political issues are infused with viewer interests such as video games, popular culture, movies, and philosophy.
Younger leftists have also taken to TikTok to break down political ideology for their peers. One of these is Isra Hirsi, the 18-year-old co-founder of the US Youth Climate Strike, who has had 1.7 million likes on her posts on anti-capitalism and climate activism. As their clips are viewed millions of times, these TikTok teens are sparking conversations about leftist movements and bringing previously radical viewpoints like socialism back into the mainstream.
Social media platforms have also enabled us to be more aware of political issues that are further afield. A performance amongst the rubble of Gaza by 12-year-old Palestinian rapper MC Abdul has garnered over five million views on Instagram, with thousands of comments calling for a free Palestine. Another example is the flooding of social media with the three-fingered protest sign adopted from The Hunger Games following the military coup in Myanmar.
As social media technology continues to develop, increasing points of view will be shared from across the entire political spectrum. The creator economy has enabled many people to speak up for what they believe in while generating enough income to survive. Crowd-funded channels will be the engines of modern political collectives where individuals with similar principles can come together for the betterment of society.
Our online spaces are the new battlegrounds for political ideologies. Serious messages lie behind the casual humor and playful dances of everyday Americans. As the US economy undergoes a slow transformation into one that is more equitable, its citizens are equipped with cameras, and they will ensure that all their voices are heard.