Part 2
In the first part, I explained how a crop of ‘part-time millionaires’ live comfortably among us, setting an unforeseen precedent for future generations, and I referenced Moneykicks to exemplify this phenomenon. In this part, I’d like to draw attention to another member of the influencer squad, Mohamed Beiraghdary aka Mo Vlogs.
Gaining prominence through his gaming channel, Hitspeko, Mohamed soon parlayed his knack for witty remarks and comedic expressions into the creation of Mo Vlogs, which currently has around 4 million subscribers on YouTube. Mo’s annual income from social media alone is estimated to be around AED 598,210. On March 11, 2017, he posted a video where he and his sister took viewers on a tour of their new mansion. His garage hosts a Lamborghini Huracan, a Ford Mustang, and a Ferrari 458 Spider!
“I’d rather hustle 24/7 than slave away 9 to 5” — Fat Joe.
The age of the ‘part-time millionaires’ has inspired the upcoming generation to seriously reconsider their aspirations for the future. The more traditional path of a safe college degree followed by a regular 9-to-5 is being increasingly eschewed in favour of a multimedia career that could pay for college if you ever decided to go just for fun! It’s a time with more opportunities than ever before, but a happy ending is no guarantee. In 2017, the youth unemployment rate was 22.3%, relatively high compared to the overall unemployment rate of 8.9%. Young adults between 18 — 24 are either branching out into their own endeavours or diving back into the safety net of school. Neither option is cheap or easily sustainable though. The rising global climate of political unrest and anti-social behavior, witnessed clearly in 2011 Arab Spring, has further emboldened the youth to do away with archaic models of normalcy and demand a change that betters their future on their own terms. However, the long-term impact of this fervour is yet to be seen. Hopefully, it’s the birth of a new normal that changes things for the better.
Adnan Wahidi is Account Executive at Cicero & Bernay Public Relations, an independent PR agency headquartered in Dubai offering new-age public relations consultancy to the UAE and across the MENA region. | www.cbpr.me