Content Creation Is The New Rat Race

People often refer to their corporate jobs as a rat race. You start in your 20s, build your portfolio, and gain experience. By your early 30s, you probably have a stable job with a good salary. But then, that’s around the age when your responsibilities increase: a family to take care of or a child to raise. Now, that “good salary” is no longer enough. You have always dreamt of living a luxurious life. However, the life you are currently living looks nothing like it. So, you work harder, live with stress, and continue to compete with your colleagues for that 'life-changing' promotion. By your 40s, you become quite advanced in your career. Still, it’s not enough. It never is. So, you continue chasing that temporary rush, trapped in a repetitive and relentless cycle.

Then, around COVID, content creation starts gaining attention. Just take an evening stroll around DongMen (东门) and you’ll see what I mean. You’ll find a street packed with live streamers and people shooting photos and videos. Essentially, everyone started to think that content creation offers a simpler path to becoming rich and successful. Why? Well, content creation supposedly only requires a smartphone and the belief that you are bound to gain traction as long as you post consistently.

Additionally, it sells the idea that only one piece of viral content is needed for you to be successful. You also get to connect with like-minded people through your page, instead of being forced to work with coworkers every day, regardless of your relationship with them. Quite the offer, isn’t it? For the most part, these statements stand true. But there’s always a catch.

Rather than a manager looking over your shoulder all the time, the algorithm does. The algorithm dictates what content should be made and will reward you with views and likes. If you don’t obey it, it will drown you in the frustration of editing a video for hours only to get an underwhelming number of views. Like it or not, it is in your favour to follow the algorithm, just as it is to listen to your manager. In the corporate world, you are always competing with your coworkers. With content creation, you will constantly compete with thousands of people for brand deals, always pitching yourself to them, trying to prove that you are the best pick. Not to mention, at least the corporate world has an age barrier, but with content creation, even toddlers are thrown into the competition.

On top of the anxiety that the corporate rat race brought, content creation also comes with burnout. Burnout from constantly coming up with creative, unique ideas that you hope will resonate with the majority. Burnout from creating content non-stop with the hope of achieving virality, only to almost always face disappointment. Instead of chasing ranks, you will be chasing metrics for validation and visibility.

The dream of being acknowledged and achieving great success never gets old. But with the boom of social media platforms, the path to achieving these dreams has changed, for better or worse. So, is content creation an easier alternative to success, or is it merely an equally tiring replacement for the corporate rat race?


About the Author

Nitya Menghani is a young Gen Z, who has lived her whole life in Shenzhen, trying to navigate through the twists and turns of a young adult life as an expat in the city. She is an aspiring businesswoman eager to create an impact and is currently pursuing a business management degree. Other than that, she has also freelanced as a social media assistant manager, sales and customer service intern, and AI marketing content creator. Her writing is inspired by the complex thoughts and conversations that stem from the ordinary moments of life. She hopes that by writing them down, she can perhaps help herself and others navigate through them too.

Nitya can be contacted via WeChat on the following QR.