Qustodio team
Experts in digital safety
- Kids spent 76% more time on social networks and 25% more on YouTube in 2020 vs 2019.
- 7,500 people make a living from creating content on social networks in Spain.
- Kids 4–16 years old indicated YouTuber as their 4th most desired profession.
- The social media advertising business grew by approximately €8.2 billion in 2020.
- An average primary school teacher in Spain earns €2K/mo. while an influencer can earn 8K euros with just one post.
- The Autonomous University of Madrid offers a course to train future influencers: ‘Intelligence Influencers: Fashion & Beauty’
The labor market has undergone a major transformation over the last decade, largely caused by digitization. Answers to the question ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ are increasingly diverse and the most traditional professions have been joined by many others that are largely linked to technology, such as: programmers, data analysts, UX/UI designers, and creators of content for platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, TikTok or Twitch, among others.
Qustodio, the leader in online safety and digital wellbeing for families, reported 76% growth in kids’ use of social networks in Spain between 2019 and 2020, in its annual study of children’s digital habits. The report also showed a 25% increase in the use of video platforms such as YouTube.
“These data are a clear example of the current situation. Minors spend more time on social networks consuming content created by influencers who become role models”, states Eduardo Cruz, CEO and co-founder of Qustodio. “It is normal that our children are attracted to this type of profession — a job where you get to play video games or travel around the world is more motivating than an 8 to 5 one — and the life that is shown online is idyllic and is used as a marketing hook”.
In the past, children dreamed of being knights or warriors because they found those roles exciting and inspirational. Today, influencers are the new heroes of the generation. In fact, according to data from the XIII Adecco “What do you want to be when you grow up?” survey of 2000 kids in Spain, 4–16 years old, the profession of YouTuber now appears as the 4th most desired.
Every year, new professions come about. In Spain, there are more than 7,500 people dedicated to creating content on networks, turning their lifestyle into a marketing business. A dynamic that is difficult for older generations to understand, but much admired by digital natives.
The influencer profession has become one of the highest paying jobs in recent years. In fact, according to the Influencer Marketing Hub report, the social media advertising business grew in 2020 by around 8.2 billion euros. Instagram occupies the first position of the ranking in which a macro-influencer could earn between 4,000 and 8,000 euros per post and a mega-influencer for promotional content would never accept less than 8,000 euros, and the amount paid per post could reach a million euros for celebrities.
On YouTube, a nano-influencer can earn between 16 and 160 euros and a mega-influencer can earn more than 16,000 euros per mention. In comparison, according to data from the UGT, the average Primary Education teacher earns around €2k/mo. and doctors earn an average of €4,400/mo.
Demand for these professionals by brands is so high that courses have been created to teach people how to become influencers. For example, the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM) created a course ‘Intelligence Influencers: Fashion & Beauty’, organized by the Faculty of Psychology and the School of Economic Intelligence of the UAM, together with the collaboration of Ibiza Fashion Week to train the young people in this new profession.
Influencers are nothing more than a new marketing tool that brands integrate into their strategies in order to generate more sales and a greater brand reputation, and it works. The success of the phenomenon is due to the sense of credibility that the opinions of these content creators bring today. It is not known how long it will last, what is obvious is that influencers have power, and a lot of it, over consumers and kids.
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