What Parents Need to Know About Gen Z’s Top Career Choice: Influencer
By Movieguide® Contributor
Over half of Gen Zers want to be influencers, according to a survey of 1,000 young people by Morning Consult.
Victoria Bachan, President of Whalar, a talent agency, said that young people “are very excited about the idea of celebrity, fame, and money and are just genuinely looking for a place to connect and find community.”
But the job is harder than it looks.
Taylor Lorenz, host of tech and culture podcast Power User and author of “Extremely Online,” compared being an influencer to running “your own independent media company.”
“There’s a misperception that it’s easy,” she said. “Most startups fail, and I think most media startups fail, too.”
Per CNBC, “Hannah Williams, 27, and her husband run the popular TikTok account Salary Transparent Street, where they ask people around the country what their salaries are. The channel has 1.4 million followers, and most of their income comes from brand partnerships with companies like Capital One, with a far smaller share coming directly from the platforms they post content on through creator funds.”
Since 2022, Williams has created content full-time. In 2023, she garnered over $1 million and now has an annual salary of about $125,000.
However, she knows it’s more work than her previous 9-5 job.
“It’s just constant, Monday through Sunday,” she said. “From the time you wake up to the time you go to bed, the internet’s on, so you’re on as well.”
READ MORE: WHAT’S KILLING THE INFLUENCER?
Another creator, Caroline Lasher, “mainly creates beachy lifestyle content and makes much of her money through brand partnerships and affiliate links. Her income fluctuates, but she often brings in more than $10,000 per month.”
“I’m my own photographer, videographer and I edit everything myself,” she said. “So when I go out, I’ll usually have my tripod and I’ll look at public locations that I can take pictures at.”
But the life of a content creator can become overwhelming.
“I have burned out,” Lasher admitted. “It usually comes in waves.”
It can also be hard to juggle the brand deals that come in.
“It’s almost like things that are in writing don’t matter,” Bachan said of working with clients. “Initial timelines don’t matter. Contracts don’t matter. [Brands] want what they want, when they want, how they want it.”
Gen Z’s interest in the career field comes from their desire for financial freedom, flexibility and fun, but it can cause problems for kids.
“The pursuit of influencer status often involves significant online exposure, which can lead to issues like cyberbullying, social comparison, and feelings of inadequacy,” said Dr. Andrew Monasterio. “The desire to be an influencer, if not approached mindfully, could contribute to mental health challenges.”
READ MORE: WHY PARENTS SHOULDN’T CREATE SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS FOR THEIR KIDS
For parents whose kids are interested in influencing as a career, Parents advises a few things: Keep an open mind, go back to basics, accept their interest, discuss guardrails and monitor and finetune.
“…social media isn’t going away, and neither is influencing,” the outlet added. “At least for now, it remains a coveted career choice.”
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