Need a potent love spell? Would you like to get a psychic reading? Want advice on anything?
How about someone to professionally read your mind? Unimpressed? What if I could tell you I could offer any of these and more from the comfort of your home or pretty much wherever you are at provided you have WIFI or cellular service?
Maybe you are unaware of the possibilities out there, but in the gig economy there are few limits to what services and digital products can be offered and sold. They can range from business services to personal interest, curiosity, etc. Want to pay someone to do the ice bucket challenge? You can find it. Really, there are no established limits out there. The only restriction from most mainstream commercial platforms is adult content services but even the line between that particular category blurs when you factor in modeling, paid conversation, video, and art. It depends on the platform and its target audience.
Is this a natural progression because the Internet has connected people so well that contractors and people looking for a side gig are just improvising? The answer is not so simple. There are certainly some generational differences. In previous generations, the idea of doing a Punk’d-like prank video would be highly embarrassing. Tastes have certainly changed and some of the edge and sensitivity is not as acute as it would have been years ago for a broader subset of the population. However, that is up to interpretation considering programming such as Candid Camera, Benny Hill, and even going back to the silent era of film with Charlie Chaplin. People have a history of being creative to generate income.
What has changed? It is the medium. Instead of these transactions requiring or necessitating personal interaction, consumers can simply go on the device of their choice and submit a purchase request and it can be done almost instantly. Poof! Chilling with your tablet on the couch? How about paying someone a gig fee to produce a personalized illustration of you as a cat person to post to social media? Sure, why not, right? That would get some serious likes, don’t you agree? Maybe you are a content creator and have found a business need or notice a trend amongst consumers. This is supply and demand not necessarily mindless tomfoolery. It could certainly be tomfoolery, but who is to judge?
The perception by some may be that the current generation just has no shame. This is an unfair classification if it is applied broadly and generalizes a whole generation. How long have clowns been around? The answer is a long time. This is true about carnivals and fairs as well. Enterprising individuals have offered services and goods to travelers from modern time clear back into antiquity and ancient times. There have always been people willing to push the envelope it is just the fact that the circumstances have changed. Previous generations just did not have the Internet available to allow people to move forward with their imagination and take possibilities and make them into intangible and tangible services and products.
Globalization has changed the competitiveness of local industries versus the world at large. Where in the past workers would simply get a factory job now that may not be an option. The jobs available may not pay as much or offer comparable benefits and unless you develop a skill, learn a trade, or get an education how are individuals supposed to adjust to these changes? They could accept what is available or think outside the box. There are also factors such as automation, software, and now AI that are making it less and less necessary from human workers unless it is an industry that utilizes cheaper labor in less developed economies. With 3D printing and technological advances, even these jobs could be threatened as well. Those who do not have contingency plans risk being left out in the cold when change disrupts the economics their lives depend on.
In parts of the West, education is becoming very expensive. How do you pay for it? You can get a job and pay your way, borrow, or get help from your family. What if you could work from home with little to no input of money to sustain the work? That would be great if you have the skills or entrepreneurial determination to pursue it. Jobs bring in money but they also require input. You may need money to pay for gas or public transportation. The employment opportunity available may require you to purchase specific gear or clothing. You may need to purchase software or train on your own time without compensation to remain employable. Time is not the same as money but it is just as valuable or more so.
To those who are willing to put themselves out there to explore and pursue gigs, they deserve credit for having the courage to try and improvise. Maybe they found a niche on their own or were inspired by someone else who posted a video to Youtube, Vimeo, or some other social media site. Maybe they heard a friend was making side gig money while enrolled in the university. Perhaps a friend was doing a podcast while working retail. Taken altogether, people not only have avenues allowing them to try creative forms of self-expression and contract work but also market and societal forces affecting the career decision making process. As a result, there probably will be some interesting side hustles that result. Also, just because it looks like everyone is doing it does not mean it is true. The Internet can affect one’s perceptions of trends and participation. Food for thought.
