Over half of Gen Zers think they 'can easily make a career in influencing': brand expert

Published

2 years ago

September 28, 2023

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A new survey found that 57% of Gen Zers said they would quit their day job to become an influencer if given the chance, which a brand expert translated to mean that more than half of the coming-of-age respondents “believe people can easily make a career in influencing.”

Decision intelligence company Morning Consult released its September 2023 brand report, which, after surveying over 2,200 US adults and Gen Zers aged 13 to 26 who are active on social media, concluded that “consumer behaviors and attitudes may be constantly evolving, but the allure of influencers and the draw of becoming one! remains notable.”

Nearly 60% of respondents in Generation Z — who were born between 1997 and 2012 — said they would take the job of social media influencer over their current gig, while 41% of adults would opt for the role, which sees people earning money to post photos and videos endorsing a product or service.

Of those Gen Zers, 53% believe being an influencer is a reputable career choice, and three in 10 teens and young adults even said they would pay to become an influencer.

For Gen Zers who would become influencers, 22% said they would post about gaming, while 10% fantasize about endorsing beauty and skincare products.

Young people said they’d be least interested in being an influencer with a niche in drinking, home design, politics or social causes, the Morning Consult survey found.

Most adults, meanwhile, don’t know what they would post about, followed by 13% that said they would create food content and 8% who would share posts on music.

Ellyn Briggs, a brands analyst at Morning Consult, told CNBC that TikTok makes influencing seem like a more plausible career than ever thanks to its “no-frills, direct-to-cam and low-editing content.”

TikTok has “broadened the amount of people who feel influencing is accessible to them,” Briggs added, who said the survey results show Gen Zers “believe people can easily make a career in influencing.”

Briggs attributed young people’s desire to influence to the ability to make money, work flexible hours and do fun tasks.

And as an interest in becoming an influencer has grown, so has social media users’ trust in the online endorsers.

A staggering 61% of Gen Z and millennial survey respondents said they trust social media influencers — an increase from the 51% that trusted these highly-followed users in 2019.

Gen Zers don’t appear deterred by the “not insignificant amount of content creator controversies” that have gone viral or gotten users cancelled in recent years, Briggs said.

Among the most prominent influencers to fall victim to cancel culture include James Charles, Jeffree Star and Jenna Marbles.

Charles, and ultra-popular beauty YouTuber, was temporarily blocked from monetizing his content on the video-sharing site back in 2021 after it was alleged that he, then 21, used his status on the site to bait and groom minors, including two 16-year-old boys who say they engaged in direct message conversations.

Star — who started his social media career out on MySpace before launching a YouTube channel in 2006 to post makeup tutorials — was cancelled in 2020whenInsiderinvestigated claims that Star drugged men.

And Jenna Marbles, formally known as Jenna Mourey, peaked at over 20 million YouTube subscribers before yanking her channel from the platform following allegations of blackface in 2020.

Politics

Starmer ‘playing whack-a-mole’ to keep US on side – but will it be enough?

Published

6 mins ago

November 22, 2025

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Starmer 'playing whack-a-mole' to keep US on side - but will it be enough?

Keir Starmer flies out of South Africa this evening with two massive issues on his agenda – a potentially manifesto-busting budget and, as it stands, an unacceptable Ukrainian peace deal.

As he prepared to depart for London, the prime minister confirmed he was dispatching national security adviser Jonathan Powell to Geneva for talks with US officials, other European security advisers and Ukrainian representatives – as Europe and Ukraine scramble to reinsert themselves into a plan drawn up between Washington and Moscow.

The prime minister said on Saturday there was “more to do on the plan” in the coming days and the focus now was to try to make progress in Geneva.

Follow the latest: European leaders raise concerns over plan for Ukraine

After speaking on the phone to Donald Trump, Downing Street said the pair agreed their teams would work together on the US leader’s proposal in the Swiss city on Sunday.

Starmer also reiterated Britain’s “steadfast support for Ukraine” in a call with President Zelenskyy – as allies try to swing this deal more in Ukraine‘s favour, with the UK and other international leaders clear on their concerns to limit the size of the Ukrainian army and give up territory to Russia.

But in his remarks on camera, the prime minister was at pains to neither criticise the current deal nor President Trump.

One figure told me that the PM wants to act as a bridge between the Europeans and the US and has been playing a “game of whack-a-mole” over the past couple of days in an effort to keep others from publicly saying the deal is unacceptable for fear it would only serve to irritate President Trump and hurt Ukraine.

Earlier, the prime minister said he would talk to his US counterpart in the coming days.

“I’m absolutely clear in my mind that President Trump wants a just and lasting peace, not just from the actions he’s taken towards that end, but also from the private discussions that I’ve had with him,” Mr Starmer said.

“So I know what he’s trying to achieve. We all want to achieve that.”

But there will be a question about what the alternative options are if allies cannot improve this deal by President Trump’s Thursday deadline.

The first option is to try to improve it and also slow down the process and buy more time, but if that fails, are allies looking at scenarios where they try to shore up Ukraine’s war efforts without the US support?

The prime minister responded by talking about point five in the 28-point plan, in which Ukraine is offered security guarantees from the US.

“That fortifies in me the belief that what we’re all trying to achieve here is a just and lasting peace will only be just as lasting if there are security guarantees,” Mr Starmer said.

“And if we bear in mind that matters for Ukraine are always to be determined by Ukraine.”

The next 24 hours will be critical as the Europeans, Ukraine and other allies try to improve this deal.

Sports

UAB: Player arrested after stabbing 2 teammates

Published

1 hour ago

November 22, 2025

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UAB: Player arrested after stabbing 2 teammates

Jake TrotterNov 22, 2025, 02:36 PM ET
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A UAB football player stabbed two of his teammates Saturday morning at the football facility ahead of the Blazers’ home game against USF, a university spokesperson told ESPN.

The suspect has been arrested, and both injured players are in stable condition after being taken to UAB hospital. The school has not released the names of any of the players involved.

UAB’s game against USF began as scheduled at 3 p.m. ET.

A UAB official said an investigation is ongoing.

“UAB’s top priority remains the safety and well-being of all of our students,” the school said in a statement.

Sports

Sources: ASU’s top WR Tyson expected back

Published

1 hour ago

November 22, 2025

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Sources: ASU's top WR Tyson expected back

Nov 22, 2025, 02:48 PM ET

Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State‘s leading receiver, is expected to return from a hamstring injury and play Saturday when the Sun Devils visit the Colorado Buffaloes, sources tell ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Tyson is expected to participate in pregame warmups, and barring any setbacks, he’ll be cleared to play against his former team.

Tyson suffered the injury Oct. 18 in Arizona State’s upset win over then-undefeated Texas Tech. He finished that game with 10 catches for 105 yards and a touchdown but has not played since.

Despite missing the past three games, Tyson leads the Sun Devils in catches (57) and yards receiving (628), and he is the team leader with eight touchdowns.