Young Creators Are Burning Out and Breaking Down

Lately, it’s been hard for Jack Innanen, a 22-year-old TikTok star from Toronto,     1     (create) content. “I feel like I’m tapping a keg that’s been empty for a year,” he said.

Spending hours shooting, editing, storyboarding, engaging with fans, setting up brand deals and balancing the many other responsibilities that come with being a successful content creator     2     (take) a toll. Mr. Innanen, like so many Gen Z influencers     3     found fame in the last year, is burned out.

He’s     4     (hard) the only one. Burnout has affected generations of social media creators. In 2017, Instagram influencers began leaving the platform,     5     (say) they were feeling depressed and discouraged. In 2018, many large YouTube creators began stepping away from the platform because of mental health     6     (issue).

Problems with burnout in     7     creator community are endemic (普遍的). “If you slow down, you might disappear,” the YouTuber Olga Kay said.

When a fresh crop of young stars began building audiences on TikTok in late 2019 and early 2020, many were     8     (hope) that this time would be different.

Still, they weren’t prepared for the exhausting work of building, maintaining and monetizing an audience. Even worse, they have encountered all kinds     9     problems, including bullying, harassment (骚扰) and discrimination. “Some creators get their content     10     (steal) too, so someone else will go viral off their content then they get all the press,” said Devron Harris, a TikTok creator in Tampa, Fla.

Participating in the random culture is no longer simply a hobby,     1     a form of data labour. From celebrity ranking lists based on followers and engagement, to singing TV contests     2     (allow)the public to cast votes, fans have become active     3     (participate)in feeding the idol worship machine like never before. But in many instanced, their behaviour has turned toxic. From stalking     4     cyber-bullying and spreading rumors, organized fan groups have increasingly taken     5     (they) “love” to crazy extreme.

“The chaos in celebrity fan clubs shows that bad fan culture has reached     6     critical moment that must be corrected,” the country's top disciplinary body said on a post.

There needs to be a limitation of irrational star-chasing. If celebrities are expected to be models, then it is natural that online fan groups need to be regulated too     7     (promote)a healthy internet culture overall.

Already, all the major social media platforms     8     (respond) to the government's call, removing celebrity ranking lists and shutting select fan accounts. Competitive idol reality TV shows, many of     9     rely on fan participation, were also banned. It is an attempt to protect young people from being     10     (negative) impacted.