How to explain your creator career to your boomer parents.
Intergenerational understanding. Or rather misunderstanding!
Our parents grew up at a time where technology was still used as a functional and educational tool. Especially the internet. They would have never thought that putting up pictures or videos online would have been a way to earn money.
I mean you can’t really blame them. They’ve had to live in a world without the galore of what social media platforms have now become so there are going to be those “What the heck are you doing on your phone all day” moments.
Living in the unknown especially when the world is zooming past at the speed of light, well….sucks!
And if you make a living off social media as a content creator you know exactly how fast and competitive it is.
And besides, social media has only been a contributor to teaching us instant gratification and reducing our patience levels.
A relatively small percentage of parents admit to parenting being easier in these modern times or rather understanding what their kids actually do online.
Being a social media content creator is especially something that’s difficult to explain because being one requires you to be extremely fast-paced and demands your complete attention.
I guess we owe it to them when they ask us why we are so hooked to social media and why it’s important you shoot multiple takes of you changing clothes to match a fashion trend from Tiktok.
So whether you are a social media manager, a digital content creator, an influencer, a digital marketing manager, or anything related to the internet, here’s how you can explain to them exactly what you do:
Money will explain most of it: You are a content creator, and if you’re good at it chances are that you’re already making money out of collaborations and sponsorships. When you explain that posting a picture holding a new beauty product or a new app that’s just come out is something that generates income for you since people look up to your recommendations, that will help explain the gist of it.
Give them a tour of the place you hang out at: It’s time to explain what you do by just simply showing them where you do it. Show them how a single picture or video clip can reach thousands of people and how valuable your opinions are. That will really help them get an idea of the scale and why you keep checking your phone whenever it dings with a new update.
Compare your job with something mainstream: Your parents have probably told you about how they had to scale mountains and cross rivers to earn for their bread! This just meant that it was a lot of hard work to earn money even 30 years ago compared to now. So the potential of earning money using the internet may seem a little farfetched. Say you’re a digital artist, you can explain that you’re basically an artist that uses computers to make art instead of regular canvas and paint.
Filter out things that do not need to be shared: You’re a product of the modern world. You may understand the inner workings of the internet. The reach, impressions, views, and the algorithm. Telling your parents about this would only slow the knowledge transfer process. We want to simplify and not complicate. Only tell them about the things that they will need to know!
You will have to explain it to them as you do to a child.
The same way your parents taught you how to throw a ball or ride a bike.
Bridging that gap between generations is a task in itself, let alone explaining your social media career.
So to sum up,
Take it slow. Filter relevant information to be shared. Have patience.
