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I'm guessing many Youtubers / Instagrammers would qualify.


I doubt that. The success rate for running a profitable social media powered business is very, very low. Of the hundreds of thousands of people who try maybe 5% of them make any money, and 0.05% make enough to quit their jobs. The number of people who qualify as what most people would call financially successful (eg a stable mid 6 figures income) is even lower still.

The creativity and freedom might still make it worthwhile, but the chances of being a breakout star are effectively zero.


Not to mention, that the burnout rate is VERY high. People should not underestimate the pressure of producing interesting content every couple of days for years without being able to take a break.


Which I think has only accelerated for things like Twitch streaming, where it's every single day for hours at a time.


Not really. Social media is a horrible way to try and earn a living. The only way you can really do it is a patronage model like SubscribeStar or Patreon or some kind of gigging like live podcasts or selling merch like t-shirts or prints. You can be famous and make less than you would at McDonald’s easily.


Incomes on social media are highly skewed power-law distribution. PieDiePie/Logan Paul make millions while everyone else makes pennies.




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