Creative careers flourish as Gen Z pushes back against hustle culture: Report

As the boundaries of traditional careers continue to blur, a new generation is reshaping the work culture. A trend of creative careers is emerging in the country as individuals harness emerging business models and economic opportunities online. According to the latest 'Consumed' report by Stumble and Kommune, Gen Z's entry into the workforce has challenged the established norms. The acceptance of non-traditional career paths is growing and side hustles and creative moonlighting are gaining popularity.

The report underscores that ambitious plans for financial independence are at odds with rising cynicism about hustle culture.

The young workforce is gravitating towards startups that allow work-life balance. It is also projected that entrepreneurship may steadily continue to grow as a viable alternative.

Creator workshops, non-traditional colleges and business schools, and disruptive career successes are emerging as probable accelerators.

At the same time, creator-led brands, such as Peach by Vishnu Kaushal, Wakeup Juiceby Ankita Chawla, and creator-curated product lines with companies like Freakins, are also flourishing.

Furthermore, the commodification of experience is another trend emerging in the country. Millennial minimalism has evolved into post-millennial materialism, often driven by post-pandemic revenge purchases and urges.

The report noted that increasing 'upgrade culture', where people aspire for products and experiences outside their spending capacity, may lead to a credit boom.

Spending for signalling is leading to younger consumers falling into spending spirals, not using credit cards wisely, and making unwise expenditures.

According to estimates, more than 80 percent of the world’s population currently owns a smartphone, with almost 60% of the global population actively using the internet.

This comes in parallel to Airplane Mode, where people seek offline experiences due to screen fatigue. According to the report, consumers are increasingly recognising the collateral effects on mental well-being and working to resist the effects of social media dependence.

Even creators are taking mental health breaks, acknowledging the toll of content creation, and stepping away from retention-based editing as an act of reclaiming control, the report noted.

"Both creators and consumers are consciously going Airplane Mode- logging off to touch the grass, turning on-screen timers, and using quiet mode," the report added.