Why is 57% of Gen Z happy trading their day jobs for becoming a social media influencer?

This figure does not come as a surprise to Lokesh Nigam, co-founder and director of Kognoz, a tech-driven people consulting firm. “Gen Z, having been digital natives who grew up amidst social media and the internet, find influencing to be a natural extension of their tech-savvy lives,” he tells indianexpress.com.

The larger world also seems to be responding to this. Southeast Technical University in Carlow, Ireland recently decided to offer the country’s first degree in social media influencing. The degree would teach students business skills, video and audio editing, critical cultural studies, and creative writing. Speaking to Irish broadcaster RTÉ, Dr Eleanor O’Leary, lecturer in media and communications at the university, noted “There is a growing interest in the area both from potential students and employers,” BBC reported.

For Gen Z, it’s crucial that their job environment aligns with their values (Source: Freepik)

Lovika Tyagi, a 22-year-old law student, would love to be an influencer because of the individuality and creativity afforded to them. “We anyway consume content. Might as well get paid for making it.” The fame and money, of course, sweeten the deal for her.

Nigam points out that Gen Z seeks both creative and monetary independence, unlike the generations before who majorly looked for the latter. “Being an influencer allows them autonomy and a platform for creative expression, both of which resonate deeply with this generation’s values and aspirations.”

Journalist Nitika Gandhi is at the cusp of millennials and Gen Z at 27 but she thinks about being an influencer quite often: “I work with a lot of them and even the ones who earn less than INR 100,000 per month make tripple of my salary.”

High-performance coach Aditi Surana believes the definition of success has evolved for Gen Z who don’t want to make money at the cost of truly living their life: “For the generations before, the best life may have been a cushy 9-5 job but Gen Z wants a life that has fun, passion, challenge, recognition, and money.”

She doesn’t think jobs are challenging enough for Gen Z so they often end up thinking: now what? This is also another reason why Gandhi wants to be an influencer. You get to be a multi-tasker. “One person gets to be the PR, the strategist and the star,” she said.

Nigam opined that for Gen Z, it’s crucial that their job environment aligns with their values and delivers a profound sense of purpose because their outlook on work has been shaped by myriad social and political events they’ve lived through.

Being an influencer does require a certain level of discipline (Source: Freepik)

The grass may not be so green on the other side either. Ashrey Puri, a 22-year-old beauty influencer and freelance makeup artist has these two job designations because the former doesn’t pay as well, at the moment. “It is difficult to get there but when you do, you’ll be raking in the good stuff.”

Some other Gen Z we talked to for this story did say they wouldn’t want to become an influencer. Samaira Kapoor credited the aversion to not wanting to be overworked. Suhani Sharma, who works as a social media manager, says you require a certain level of “shamelessness” to sell your personality, which she wouldn’t be able to do as an introverted person.

Though being an influencer does require a certain level of discipline, Puri rubbishes any claims that it is difficult by any means. “It is much, much easier” than a regular 9-5, especially if you have “financial backing from your family, otherwise known as generational wealth,” he laughingly added.

Having said that, there is an added layer of difficulty for those from minority communities. Like Malayka, 27, writer and wildlife filmmaker, who says the risks of being a public figure would be different for a Muslim influencer. “You don’t get to choose what type of influencer you are, a lot of the times.”

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