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We are living through an interesting era that allows for the development of new skills, abundant creativity, and instant communication with people situated all over the world.

The best illustration of this is in the palm of our hands. The mobile phone has become a device and platform that supports millions of jobs through its existence.

For example, app stores continue to provide economic opportunities for entrepreneurs of all sizes. This helps anyone with an idea to reach customers around the world and take advantage of new opportunities that would never be possible without it. Creator/freelancer platforms like Fiverr, Gumroad and UpWork offer a global marketplace for professionals to meet and collaborate with clients.

The stark reality of the job market is that some professionals only need a computer and an Internet connection to create economic value. Inside this modern business ecosystem, there are jobs that did not draw much attention only five years ago.

Today, more people are streaming to the following jobs in numbers:

Social Media Influencer

Influencers in social media are people who have grown a reputation for their knowledge and expertise on a specific or a combination of subjects.

They usually publish regular posts about those topics on their social media platforms and generate audiences of people who consume their content. The job opportunity arises when corporate organizations see commercial and marketing value in working with social media influencers. Collaboration between the two groups is made possible because Influencers can set social trends and inspire their audience to purchase specific products or join causes, they are commissioned to promote.

Due to this dynamic, more people have a chance to create job opportunities using their personality, knowledge and unique life experiences. And to be a successful social media influencer, it’s important to write well.

Bloggers were the first group of social media users who used their writing to build communities, wield social influence and make money from it.

Online dating profile writers

Online dating has become ‘acceptable’ in the last few years. It wasn’t too long ago that people raised their eyebrows at couples that started their relationships online.

The proof is in the growing business of writing online dating profiles. These are professionals who write other people’s online dating profiles to increase the chances of attracting potential dates. The process also includes offering pointers on selecting images, editing, tailored dating advice and the writing of personalized bios.

The market exists because not all people find it easy to speak confidently about their character traits. The role of the ghostwriter is to view the client objectively and write about their qualities in a way that presents them in an eye-catching manner.

Newsletter writer

Newsletters have existed in different forms for a long time. However, it is a fairly new concept to sell writing directly to subscribers.

This type of writing work offers independence for skilled writers who may want to work on their own terms. There is no better feeling than the freedom to decide what you work on, how you spend your time, and whom you do business with.

That’s exactly what Polina Pompliano did when she left her writer & editor job at Fortune magazine. She founded her newsletter The Profile. As a media business owner, she has the task of reading many profiles of people and companies to bring her readers the most thought-provoking stories every Sunday. That is the basis of her business.

The opportunity to monetize writing skills is becoming more popular and viable as corporate businesses commit to adopting new work processes that allow for flexibility. For example, sourcing independent creators to work with in order to meet business objectives.

In the modern economy, the ability to build an audience around your skills can be a lucrative job.

Content (Marketing) Manager

The need for organizations to have regularly updated websites has generated jobs for people who write well and think creatively to contribute to the process.

Working with the newly formed roles of SEO specialists and social media editors, content marketing managers create branded content for businesses. The aim is to engage people, build an audience and make the content easily discoverable.

The content manager creates and publishes media on online platforms. They work with visual graphic designers, app developers and other professionals to produce media properties.

In order to develop a consistent brand for a company, the content manager’s skills must include strong writing and editing skills.

Chief Listening Officer

With the growth of social media consumption, it has become important for organizations to keep their digital ears on the ground.

It has never been easier to chat to businesses. Customers now interact with organizations like they do with friends – on WhatsApp, Twitter, through chatbots, etc.

A C.L.O’s main role is to monitor in-house and outside communications that connect with the organization. This includes gathering information from customers to developing a strategy that helps foster improved relationships with customers and employees.

The growth of these jobs is partly supported by the growth of social media usage and the importance of data in business – the same technologies that were young 10 years ago.

Given what we’ve unpacked regarding what consumers need to know about the right to privacy and how to protect themselves, we also seek to bring visibility to posting unverified or false information about others. The digital era has completely changed how people produce and consume content in both traditional media and social media. In a world where spreading misinformation is as easy as a retweet, or share, it is important that we educate ourselves about the harmful nature of sharing unverified news and posting sensationalist information or you could end up with serious legal consequences.

What is sensationalism?

According to the Collins dictionary, it is “the presenting of facts or stories in a way that is intended to produce strong feelings of shock, anger, or excitement”. Although sensationalism is a phenomenon commonly used in journalism and media, in the digital era we also see an increased number of people using sensationalism in their social media posts. Either way, the aim is to arouse intense emotional responses and garner many likes, retweets, and shares. Tactics are the same and may include clickbait headlines, being deliberately obtuse and controversial, omitting facts and information. There could be various reasons for choosing the route of sensationalism but these are the common ones.

1. Attract a great number of readers
2. Increasing viewership on YouTube
3. Increasing followers on Twitter/Instagram/Facebook
4. Instant fame

Perhaps a more colloquial and familiar term for sensationalism is “clout chasing” which Urban Dictionary defines as “when a person tries to earn undeserved fame, via many things including spam, advertisement in places that you’re not meant to, starting drama with the goal of boosting yourself, etc”.  To not become a victim of sensationalism or clout chasing, it becomes your responsibility to ensure that you share correct information on social media. Below are a few ways to stop sensationalist sharing on social media:

1. Look for news articles from reputable sources
2. Before sharing a social media post, check whether it is shared in such a way that is fair and respectful to the subject matter

Can your social media post get you into trouble?

The simple answer is yes. You need to remember that a social media platform isn’t necessarily the place for you to say and do as you please; in fact, there could be some serious legal consequences for certain posts, uploads, and comments. If what you post on Twitter,Facebook or Instagram is defamatory in nature, it is very possible to end up with a lawsuit.

Defamation and the possible criminal charges

Defamation can be seen as any wrongful, intentional publication of words or behaviour relating to another person that injures or demeans their status, good name, character or reputation. As much as we have freedom of speech in South Africa but the constitution clearly states that “The right does not extend to propaganda for war; incitement of imminent violence; or advocacy of hatred that is based on race, ethnicity, gender or religion, and that constitutes incitement to cause harm”. At the beginning of 2018, South Africa saw one of the biggest cases of defamation charges filed by celebrity couple Basestana and Romeo Khumalo against individuals who were spreading rumors on social regarding an inappropriate video featuring another local celebrity. In more recent times media icon Bonang Mathebe sued the local podcaster Rea Gopane, for defamation of character for something he shared to his audience about her based on a rumour he heard. Therefore, any posts that violate the constitution can land you in very hot water and no one is above it.

Below are some social media conditions to be aware of from LIPCO Legal Services:

Facebook

• You may not bully, intimidate, or harass any user.
• You may not post content that: is hate speech, threatening, or pornographic; incites violence or contains nudity or graphic or gratuitous violence.
• You will not post content or take any action on Facebook that infringes or violates someone else’s rights or otherwise violates the law.

Twitter

• You may not incite or engage in the targeted abuse or harassment of others.

Instagram

• You are responsible for any activity that occurs under your screen name.
• You must not abuse, harass, threaten, impersonate or intimidate other Instagram users.
• You are solely responsible for your conduct and any data, text, information, screen names, graphics, photos, profiles, audio and video clips, links (“Content”) that you submit, post, and display on the Instagram service. Depending on the severity of the case, you might just receive a warning and be asked to remove the post, or if a post is deemed offensive, your profile could be deleted.

Social media tip:

Think before you share and think before you post. Always ask yourself, “is what I’m posting factual, and can it be substantiated by proof?”If not, rather don’t post it. At the end of the day, it is imperative that you are aware of what you post and make it public on social media as it can have negative consequences. It all boils down to making responsible choices.

Technology has drastically changed how the world operates. Depending on how you utilize it, it can certainly make your life slightly easier. Affording one opportunity to easily acquire knowledge that would have otherwise been reserved for a select few, stands as one of the benefits of the internet. We all know that navigating university and early career development can prove to be quite challenging, especially when you lack knowledge and awareness.

Knowing how to use the internet to empower you with critical information is a crucial skill – all you need is functioning internet and the will to learn. So, let’s talk about understanding and utilizing the internet to maximize its benefits.

Understanding the internet:

Because of social media, we arguably all have a grasp of the internet. According to an article on Talkwalker, with roughly 36 million people using the internet, there is an estimated 62% internet penetration in South Africa. There are many ways to use the internet and most of us utilize it through the hours we spend scrolling aimlessly on social media. Don’t get me wrong, these hours can be quite beneficial sometimes. Because of the convenience of social media, many people have started using it as a tool to disseminate vital knowledge and in turn, grow the South African knowledge economy. Doing this requires acknowledging that while the internet can be used for leisure and a few laughs, it should also be used for development and empowerment. You just need to know how to operate the latter function.

Utilizing the internet:

Student Advancement Platforms:

The first tool that you need to maximize is the information available on platforms dedicated to making the lives of students and young adults easier. These include GradesMatch, Foonda, Syafunda, and Career Wise. Since you are reading this article, I might be safe in assuming that you are familiar with the wealth of support that Career Wise offers students and young adults. So, I will jump straight to Foonda and Syafunda.

Foonda is an app committed to increasing access to higher education by supporting students with scholarship information. All you need to do is create an account on the website and create a brief user survey that will match you to scholarship and bursary opportunities that match your profile.

Syafunda is a content distribution and data collection platform. Its services include making e-books and digital content accessible, providing mentorship material to teachers and students as well as sharing information on free wireless network and connectivity.

YouTube:

There is nothing you cannot learn on YouTube. From acquiring a new skill like knitting or coding, – right to using Excel and making PowerPoint presentations. The power of YouTube is immeasurable, it just requires you to be intentional of what you choose to consume from the platform.

Students may consider utilising channels that cover educational content. This may range from content designed to help with university studies, right to career advice videos. Crash courses on different industries or videos on how to DIY your own complex projects could also prove useful. Anyone who truly believes that YouTube is saturated by beauty content only has not learnt the power of that search button.

Social Media Curation:

Just like most things in life, social media is complex in that there is a good and bad side. Some of the good can be attributed to the industry professionals who continue to use it as a tool to disseminate essential knowledge and information to the masses. Many a time someone has tweeted something interesting that we assume we should all already know about, and people have responded with “I wish they taught us this at school”. A quick keyword search on Twitter can lead you to very interesting threads containing information that could advance your professional development.

It is important to curate your social media so that the algorithm continues to favor you with topics you find most relevant. Curating your social media experience means following people who are most relevant to the industry you want to grow skills in. If you are starting university soon, a quick keyword search on Twitter will point you to relevant people and information that could help shed knowledge where you lack. Whether you are a young lawyer, academic, brand manager, economist, etc. there are many accounts on Twitter dedicated to enlightening you with information that could help you navigate the industry better.

We already spend so much time on social media, why not consume it as a tool to learn and grow?

Tip: Always remember to fact-check information that you glean from internet sources.