There are some profession boundaries that are not fully defined, so we act based on what we think is right. A lot has changed ever since the advent of internet, then social media. The dynamics of career and the practice of it has changed.
The invention of the internet has also created all forms of career opportunities. Gone are those days when the only forms of job available are physical jobs and having to always seek for such jobs is sometimes overwhelming. Over time the availability of jobs became thin but with the help of the internet, a lot of people were able to establish themselves without the need of employers. Becoming their own boss and having enough funds to cater for themselves.
These set of individuals who were able to make a living out of the internet are called content creators, this was only made possible through their ability to monetize their contents. In today's environment, it as become a great source of income for a lot of people but with this new source of income also comes new form of challenges.
Monetisation might be an opportunity but it has also become the primary motivator for a lot of people to engage in all forms content just to get paid. There are some unethical content being published on different platforms with monetisation features, it is becoming a lot difficult to come across quality content. Though monetisation might have prompted this but I won't blame it on monetisation, humans always find ways to take advantage of good innovation as a result of our greed.
Speaking of the risk content creators take just to go viral, I believe there used to be some kind of societal boundaries drafted for human conduct but, we now live in an era that only gratifies anything that is worth monetizing. Content creation itself is work, only those who consistently create content would know how time consuming it is to create a meaningful content, it is the kind of work that stress a person mentally and physically. Though the physical part of it might not be as extreme as other jobs but that is the difference between working hard and working smart.
Before content creation was fully recognized as a profession, it used to be a thing for the few. And the criteria for making content go viral was quite simple, create quality content, informative or educative and people would engage with it. The quality of the content used to be the central focus but the moment the profession became crowded and platforms focus shifted from promoting quality informative content to encourage content that attract users attention.
We all know, attraction is what get platforms users and people's attention have shifted to anything that is entertaining, even the extreme stuff. This put content creation in a very difficult situation and it encourages the desire to satisfy their viewers and readers. Most especially streamers who would do anything in front of camera just to be seen or go viral.
Is the risk worth? You see everything in life is a risk, as most people would say. These days, most people have taken this statement too seriously, forgetting the irony of it. It is all about calculated risk, not a risk that will cost you your life if you fail. The kind of risk that is worth taking, are the kind of risk that allows you try again if you fail. But you see this gen Z motivated content creators, it is all about success, failure should not be considered. Forgetting that, failing to get something done, doesn't mean they have failed in life.
I wouldn't put my life at risk just to go viral and I wouldn't encourage it. We have had people take it too far and lose their life in the process. A viral content can be rewarding but it doesn't last forever because in the next few days, there will be another viral post people will be talking about. A life for just few days of Fame and opportunities that comes with, is not something I would encourage anyone to gamble their life on.
This write-up was inspired by weekly featured content titled Going viral in hive learners community.
Cover Image - generated using chatgpt
