Precarity and Social Media in Biographical Experiences of Microinfluencers

The paper aims to analyze the possible connections between performing the work of an online content creator and the experience of precarity, based on autobiographical narrative interviews with Polish microinfluencers for whom online self-publishing is the main source of income. The rise of social media self-publishing is one of the outcomes of the 2008 economic crisis, which forced many people to maintain a continuous online presence and build their personal brands to appear as desirable employees. Since then, being active on social media has often become not only a choice but a necessity—posting about one’s achievements has turned into a specific form of "work-for-labour." This trend aligns with the growing popularity of self-publishing as a core aspect of labour, enabled by the commodification of attention and visibility. Although being a social media influencer is one of the most desired career paths among young people (with reports indicating that 57% of those born between 1997 and 2012 in the USA aspire to become influencers), this career brings significant risks, including unstable and unpredictable income and a lack of an established professional identity. The mythical narratives of instant success and easy wealth that shape the public’s imagination around influencers often do not reflect the realities experienced by many social media creators. In addition to the general instability common in the lives of young people today, these creators must navigate algorithms that are neither controlled nor fully understood by them, yet play a crucial role in determining their success.