ONE career option that has been trending these days is becoming a content creator especially with the rise of “instant fame” celebrities on the TikTok app. It’s no surprise that many youngsters are developing the interest.
However, it is understood that this line of work has its risks if one does not play their cards right, considering that many advertisers use them to their advantage in marketing their products.
Well known doctor and guest speaker, Dr Malar Santhi Santherasegapan, shared her thoughts on her Facebook page Celoteh Dr Malar that being a TikToker is not a “real job”.
Recently, during a health talk at a high school in Ampang, she asked the students what they want to be when they grow up and even gave a few examples.
However, when she asked the students, listing down stable jobs such as “doctor, engineer and teacher”, only a small handful of students raised their hands, which felt strange to her.
“I felt odd since the number of students present were more or less 200. So I was curious and asked, ‘What do you want to be?’” she said in her post.
While her question was met with a jumble of answers from the youngsters, she managed to catch a hint of their career choices.
“So I asked, ‘Who wants to be a TikToker?’ A quarter of students in the hall raised their hands, especially the girls who were sitting at the back.
“‘Who wants to be a YouTuber?’ - - another quarter of students in the hall raised their hands, this time with boys being the majority,” she added.
She was astounded for a moment at the response. But quickly resumed with a fierce expression etched on her face and told the teenagers, “Being a TikToker is not a job!”
Malar then pointed out to them that those who create content on TikTok are not actually full-time “TikTokers”.
“The ones who run their business on TikTok like Khairul Aming, are not really TikTokers. They are businessmen,” she said.
Malar clarified during her talk that entrepreneurs can use platforms such TikTok and Facebook to “generate sales” for their products while those who are working can utilise these platforms for their “side income”.
Not only that, she further explained how a lot of content creators get taken advantage of by many companies who basically have them “work for free” and warned her young audience not to be deceived by their luxurious lifestyles.
“One moment, they earn a high income and then the next time, there is no paycheck for months.
“On top of that, the actual reality is that these influencers lead a frantic lifestyle as many companies and advertisers will demand free reviews, attend fashion shows for free, free modelling gigs, make free content and so much more.
“It may look like they are living the high life but the fact is they themselves are tired constantly from working for free,” she told the teenagers present at her talk.
Only thinking about her teenage audience’s best interest, she said that being a content creator does not guarantee a stable income in the long run.
She also highlighted the importance of skills development for the sake of the students’ future careers or side hustle so that they do not lose out too much due to lack of preparation.
“To all those still in school, gain as much knowledge as you can, get a job with a stable income and save as much money as possible. After that, if you want to do business, do so with dignity.
“Do not rush into becoming a TikToker or content creator and then regret your choice after not earning a stable income,” she concluded in her post.
Netizens mainly agreed with Malar, not completely discouraging the idea but suggesting that maybe they can utilise said platforms as a side gig rather than doing it on a full-time basis.
At the end of the day, content creation or becoming an influencer has its challenges but so do other vocations.
It all boils down to the choices we make in our career and ensuring that we are informed of the risks before jumping into something we may regret in the long run.
