“We’ve seen a bunch of creators talk about burnout in the past.” “When it comes to Gen Z creators, we talk so much about mental health and caring for yourself,” said Courtney Nwokedi, 23, a YouTube star in Los Angeles.

They’d grown up watching YouTubers speak frankly about these issues. When a fresh crop of young stars began building audiences on TikTok in late 2019 and early 2020, many were hopeful that this time would be different. Last month, Spencewuah, a 19-year-old TikTok star with nearly 10 million followers, announced he’d be stepping back from the platform after a spat with BTS fans. In March, Charli D’Amelio, TikTok’s biggest star with more than 117 million followers, said that she had “lost the passion” for posting content. Now, however, many of them say they have reached a breaking point. Throughout 2020, social media minted a new generation of young stars. White-collar workers are spontaneously quitting jobs parents are at a breaking point hourly and service employees are overworked and health care professionals are coping with the exhaustion and trauma of being on the front lines of the pandemic.Īccording to a recent report by the venture firm SignalFire, more than 50 million people consider themselves creators (also known as influencers), and the industry is the fastest-growing small-business segment, thanks in part to a year where life migrated online and many found themselves stuck at home or out of work.

“Mood,” commented another creator with nearly five million followers.Īs people collectively process the devastation of the pandemic, burnout has plagued nearly every corner of the work force. “Say it louder bro,” wrote one with 1.7 million followers. The video went viral, and in the comments, dozens of creators echoed his sentiment.

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