Happy Nice Mall

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On a typical morning, Chrissy Chlapecka takes the dog out, spends an hour on professional makeup and hair, and carefully selects an outfit. Then, 21-year-old Chicago native Chlapecka starts working as an internet creator.

Chlapecka posts at least one short video a day Instagram and TikTok, she has a total of 4.5 million followers here. Nothing dramatic happens in the videos. But Chlapecka is who you can imagine if Lady Gaga was your favorite barista delivering advice and zingers. (Actually, Chlapecka used to be a barista.)

He looks comfortable in a few seconds of video recorded at home or in the mall. Chlapecka invites viewers, especially gay people and women, to feel good about themselves with an online personality that Chlapecka describes as an “encouraging big sister type”. (Readers, please note that Chlapecka’s videos are not necessarily family-friendly.)

But it’s also work. In addition to daily posts, Chlapecka records rough video clips to save for days when the creative juices aren’t flowing. She takes note of her concept ideas as she queues up at the grocery store. Chlapecka focuses on pitches for promotional videos to include specific products or song clips that companies hope to release. He also told me hosting a concert at a comedy club and creating strategies to build a larger fan base on YouTube and sell products to fans.

For many people like Chlapecka, who make a living by having fun or sharing information online, their job is part Hollywood producer, part small business owner, and all the hustle and bustle.

“Some people really underestimate the work the creators do,” Chlapecka said. “I wish they understood more that this is a real career – and it’s a serious career – and it’s kind of fun.”

Chlapecka knows that some people believe she does nonsense on the Internet. But it takes skill and perseverance to come up with new ideas every day, engage with online followers, and keep a close eye on ever-changing algorithms and internet users’ tastes.

This week, On Tech, focused over economy The internet creator economy No one is representative of the millions trying to make a living from their online creations. But Chlapecka gives a glimpse of what this work looks like and how the creators make money. This job may not seem like yours or mine, but like most jobs, it can be gratifying and infuriating.

As with many online personalitiesThe largest portion of Chlapecka’s revenue comes from companies that pay to have their products or songs featured in videos. Brands typically present a big picture concept and leave the rest to Chlapecka.

Chlapecka also made money from Cameo, a service of people. pay for personalized videos from celebrities and sports stars. He tried selling subscriptions to followers on Twitter and his digital creator service Fanhouse. Chlapecka also raises money TikTok’s fund for video makersHe described it as “not enough to pay rent but nice”.

Chlapecka didn’t say how much money she made. However, until about a year ago, he was working at Starbucks and a vintage store while shooting TikTok videos. Working online is now a full-time job.

He said he was satisfied with “the power social media gives me and the fans who love me – and I love them.” Chlapecka also enjoys FaceTime chats with other online creators, exchanging how-to tips and sympathy for the hard times. It’s the version of booze with coworkers to complain about a bad boss.

like many other creators, flap She said she was harassed and threatened online. Social media stars thrive on intimacy with their followers, but Chlapecka said cheaters pretend the person they see on their smartphone screen has no emotions.

“The people behind the camera are people and we deserve to have boundaries and respect,” he said.

Chlapecka said she understands how hard it is to be constantly online. burned many people. He hopes the creators’ work will be sustainable, but he also thinks online fandom can open the door to their pursuit of TV and music.

This is the life of the creators that underpins the digital economy. They fill apps that consume our free time. A career aspiration for young people that didn’t exist a generation ago. It can be all-consuming, invasive, and precarious—and fun, too.

More from Ten Tech in the internet creator economy:

tip of the week

Everyone needs a burner phone number

Your smartphone can be permanently attached to you like a digital baby. But it doesn’t have to be your phone number, she says. Brian X ChenConsumer technology columnist for The New York Times.

Your phone number is a incredibly sensitive piece of data. It is a unique string of numbers linked to other highly personal information found on public records, including your full name, home address, relatives’ names and even criminal record (if any).

A phone number is also likely to stay with you for many years because it is very difficult to get a new phone number and share it with all your contacts. (For one, I’ve had the same mobile number for over 15 years.)

That’s why anyone can benefit from having a burner phone number that you share with people and organizations you don’t fully trust. The simplest free option is a Google Voice account. There you select an area code and choose from a list of phone numbers. You can even set it up to forward calls and text messages to your real phone number.

Recently I’ve had a few situations where a burner phone number comes in handy:

The beauty of a burner is that if someone abuses it, you can get rid of it and create a new set of digits. Who would not want that?

Before you go …

• Rock pioneer and podcaster: Musician Neil Young has urged Spotify to choose between hosting his songs or popular podcast host Joe Rogan, who has been accused of spreading misinformation about the coronavirus and vaccines. Spotify sided with Roganmy colleague Ben Sisario reports.

• What does this screaming ace look like? Australian Open tests audio technology translates the journey of the balls my colleague Amanda Morris turns other tennis moves into soundscapes for fans who are blind or have limited vision.

• Saying no to Elon Musk: Jack Sweeney, a 19-year-old college student, has programmed software that sifted through complex data on private jet flights and tweeted details about Tesla CEO Elon Musk and other prominent figures. Sweeney told the Protocol Musk offered him $5,000 to stop tweets following his jet travels, but Sweeney refused.

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