21-year-old high school dropout Emma Chamberlain earned $12 million in 2021. How’d she do it? Glad you asked. She’s a successful YouTuber who parlayed her internet prominence into major brand deals (and a coffee company). 

When I stumbled across a Bloomberg piece that cited “86% of young Americans” embrace the idea of becoming an influencer, I knew I had to do a deep dive on this wild west of a career field (and the careers these young people are leaving behind to pursue it, like teaching and nursing). Even non-influencers tend to manage their “self” as it’s presented online, as there’s a perceived connection between the presentation of your “online self” and your ability to earn money.

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