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"Discover the truth about the billion-dollar online economy that made the internet's best known stars. Being an influencer is now the top future career choice for children. What if you could spend your life adored by fans, receiving freebies and countless riches. What if you could bypass the worst job market for generations? But as Symeon Brown explores in this searing expose, the reality is much more murky. From YouTube pranksters in LA to Brazilian butt lifts, from pornographers on OnlyFans to fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes, these are the stories that lurk behind the filtered selfies and gleaming smiles. Exposing the fraud, exploitation, misogyny and environmental destruction at the core of the influencer economy, Get Rich or Lie Trying asks if our online race for fame and riches is costing us too much. A revealing window onto a broken financial model that often resembles a pyramid scheme, this incredible blend of reportage and analysis will captivate and horrify you in equal measure"--Publisher's description.
About the author
Symeon Brown is a reporter and journalist at Channel 4 News. He was shortlisted for an Orwell Prize in 2019 and shortlisted at the 2018 British Journalism Awards. He has written for a range of publications including Vice, Guardian, Huffington Post, CNN, New Statesman and The Voice.
Summary
'Compelling.' Reni Eddo-Lodge
A 'must-read book for 2022', as picked by Stylist
More than one fifth of children want to become influencers and it's easy to understand why. What if you could escape economic uncertainty by winning the internet's attention? What if you could turn the adoration of your social media followers into a lucrative livelihood?
But as Symeon Brown explores in this searing exposé, the reality is much murkier. From IRL streamers in LA to Brazilian butt lifts, from sex workers on OnlyFans to fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes, these are the incredible stories that lurk behind the filtered selfies and gleaming smiles.
Exposing the fraud, exploitation, bribery, and dishonesty at the core of the influencer model, Get Rich or Lie Trying asks if our digital rat race is costing us too much. Revealing a broken economy resembling a pyramid scheme, this incredible blend of reportage and analysis will captivate and horrify you in equal measure.
Foreword
Discover the truth about the billion-dollar online economy that made the internet's best known stars
