The creator economy

CMS.100

Agenda

• 10:05 – 10:15 Share major findings from HW 2
• 10:15 – 10:35 Assignment 3 and 4a
• 10:35 – 11:00 Straw poll / discussion / debate
• 11:00 – 11:05 Break
• 11:05 – 11:25 Wrapping up debate

Debrief on Assignment 2

• Popular topics: deepfakes, generative AI
• Evaluative analysis was difficult: what is being done now and is it working?
• Writing was smooth, strong, and structured well
• Lack of assigned structure for next assignment
• If you are turning in the assignment late, please email me when you finish it so I know to look for it.

Assignment 3 (due before class on Nov 13)

Develop an argument that extends, challenges, or rethinks one or two major concepts from that class session

• Evaluate the argument that the author(s) put forth and respond accordingly:
• Methods and research questions — do they match?
• What is the history of the argument, and how does it fit into the literature?
• Use at least four sources, two of which have to be from 2023 or later.
• How is the lit review in conversation with the original reading?

Assignment 4a (due before class on Nov 13)

You will choose a media topic to systematically gather data about, code (categorize) that data in some way, visualize the data, and analyze your findings.

• Platform, media phenomenon, etc.
• Tools for social media analysis
• Use any method we’ve discussed this semester!

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One slide with 1-3 ideas in shared deck! (See syllabus.)

From previous classes …

• “Data Free Disney”: What about the children’s perspective?
• Internet infrastructure:
• Advertising is the underlying business model of the internet
• Collection + monetization of personal data feeds into ad complex
• Content creator economy builds off of these dynamics
• Ad revenue from views — this works on YouTube but not on TikTok / Instagram reels
• Creator funds: YouTube Partnerships, Creativity Fund (TikTok)
• Direct sponsorships (Squarespace, etc.)
• “Link in bio” / affiliate link culture

What type of media do you use?

Debating kidinfluencing and sharenting…

History of child labor

• Industrial revolution: in 1900, 18% of all American workers were <16 yo
• Most of the change was spurred by photographs of child laborers to spark outrage at poor conditions of work (Progressive Era reform movement)
• → is it possible to spur this kind of change when the influencers are in sponsorships with luxury brands and living an Insta-friendly life?
• 1938: Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 created minimum wage, max number of hours for workers in interstate commerce, limitations on child labor
• Automation and education, Coogan’s Law (1939)

https://www.history.com/topics/industrial-revolution/child-labor

Kidfluencing vs. kid consumption

SB 764, the new California law, puts financial and legal protections in place for children featured in such money-earning content, requiring the parent or guardian to set aside a percentage of the earnings in trust accounts. Vloggers would also have to keep a careful accounting of such earnings under the new law.

"This bill would require the vlogger to maintain records, including, among others, the number of vlogs that generated compensation and the amount deposited into the trust account, and to provide them to the minor once per month," the legislation reads. "The bill would authorize the minor to enforce these provisions in court.”

Exploitation or opportunity?

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(uneven distribution of income)

TikTok’s business model for creators

• Hank Green: 8m followers, 612m likes / 1,000 views = 2.5 cents
• Mr. Beast: 88.9m followers, $14,910 in 10 months
• $82m overall from YouTube
• SuperSaf: 652k followers = $130 in 10 months

TikTok has one pool that everyone draws from vs. YouTube gives a percentage of total revenue

History of salary transparency

• Main goal: fight pay discrimination and discrepancies between groups along racial, gender, class, and disability lines
• Equal Pay Act (1963) — under-enforcement, leads to (unpassed) Paycheck Fairness Act
• Salary transparency laws are relatively new: CA (2018), CO (2019) for job postings pay range vs. total compensation vs. salary history
• Remote vs. hybrid vs. in-person
• Number of employees
• 10 states with pay transparency laws on the books
• Enforced via civil penalties ($10-10k per violation)
• What about independent contractors?

Discussion questions

• Is kidfluencing child labor?
• Should child influencing be allowed at all?
• How are sponsorships negotiated and what are the consequences of salary transparency?
• Getting regulations in place to protect child influencers is all well and good, but many times there is no money to speak of in the first place. What then?
• Should kidfluencing be banned?
• How should kidfluencing regulations be enforced?
• What does enforcing sponsorship transparency laws look like?