Why is it that so many people’s dream is to create content for strangers?

I do it for me not for others really. It’s fun and entertains me personally. If anyone else enjoys it that that is awesome.

Because they think they will be able to make money by doing it and not get a normal job. Tiktok gave out so much money in the beginning in order to grow their business, add content, and bring customers, that it made a lot of people money. Hence everyone now thinks they will not work a normal job and just do tiktok.

I make mental health content. I do it because I have a rare disease that I manage to live successfully with, and I want to a) connect with others who have the disease to show them that we can live great lives; and b) raise awareness to the greater public on the disease because it's highly stigmatized by showing that someone with it can live a good and normal life.

That's it. It seems to be resonating with people, so that makes me happy. All I wanted to do was help one person.

External validation and no therapy...yep

I really think people perceive it as getting paid to not really have to work. I don’t believe they truly love creating content. I think they say that because it would sound too shitty to say they want to make money for doing nothing and they are trying to avoid criticism.

Edit: this is specifically about the people trying to make money from it. Not people with an interest area or hobby that want to educate and connect with others.

Same reason people want to be famous celebrities

Being able to sell intellectual property that you have created to a wide audience that willingly chooses to consume what you've created is one of the few ways to survive in the modern world without either being a wage slave or a parasite. There is no way (in the US at least) to get rich by selling your labor: that dream is dead. There are many ways to get rich by being a parasite, skimming profits off of other's labor: selling products produced in sweat-shops at inflated prices, lying about the value of a used vehicle, or advertising, or being a corporate CEO, for example, but some find those to be dishonorable pursuits. But if you can write a book and convince ten million people to buy it? You've earned that. Same for making a video that ten million people want to watch. Especially if it says something that means something to you.

Which doesn't mean you can fritter it all away into fluff that blows away in the wind and is immediately forgotten, or contaminate and spoil everything you touch. But I can't blame people for wanting to reach out for even the slight possibility of hope, when so many other options are so bleak.

Yeah, honestly it really is about being seen. Like deep down, people just want to feel like they matter, that their voice or life has value. And the internet gives instant feedback likes, views, comments it scratches that validation itch in real time.

For a lot of people, especially in a world where real-life connection feels harder to come by, that online attention feels like connection, even if it’s from strangers. Some do it for money or clout, sure, but even that usually ties back to being recognized or feeling significant.

You’re not weird for not getting it. Some people find meaning in their personal lives, their actual relationships, their quiet. Others chase it through screens. Different bones, like you said.

Well they do get paid for doing it right? On top of that look at any tech creator, they get sent stuff to review, get invited to places when a company comes out with a new phone etc... I mean why not

Its the same as other things really, you see someone doing something and you think 'I would like to do that one day.'

I wouldn't say its for validation, for most at least. I think they were inspired by something, whether it be just by sharing your life or looking to make someone smile, or just having people be able to relate to you. A lot of people use social media as an escape and then they want to be someone's escape. The community you can build is actually beautiful.

There's also the monetary side. You can earn money by creating content and a lot of jobs aren't paying enough so its a good idea to have multiple streams of income.

I don't care about the random videos on my explore page, unless they are funny. But I do have like 4 tiktokers I really enjoy and will consume all of their content.