For the past few years, much has been made of the so-called ‘side hustle’; Culture that job you do to supplement your main source of income and to top up your bank balance whether for everyday expenses or to achieve long term savings goals.
Most of the discussion around side hustles centers on the types of opportunities available and the ways that average people can get in on this scene.
But now that the trend for secondary employment has endured for so long, it’s time to start talking about it differently. Here’s why.
Flexibility is a major motivator
In the past, the world of work was fairly rigid. If you wanted to make a living, you had to leave home and go to an office building, factory, school or hospital to get paid.
Today, digital technology and a shift in how all sorts of industries function has empowered Millennials and Gen Z workers with the ability to work flexibly.
This flexibility applies not only to where and how you work, but also the kinds of side hustle experiences that are available.
For example, the money making apps on this page show that you can generate income whether you want to be a graphic designer in your spare time, or simply fill in surveys while sitting on the sofa.
Side hustle culture has essentially evolved as a result of a perfect storm of technological tools and societal impetus. Take away the flexibility, and this trend would crumble.
Choice is not always involved
The darker side of the reality of side hustle culture is that for lots of people this is not something they do because they want to, but rather because they have to in order to keep up with the cost of living.
With ever-spiraling house prices, rising rents and stagnating wages, younger generations have struggled to enjoy the same benefits as their forebears since joining the workforce in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis.
For some, a side hustle is the only way to stay afloat, let alone to get ahead. This is obviously not universally the case, but it is necessary to reframe this trend as not purely positive or aspirational.
Something’s gotta give
Another thing which side hustle skeptics are starting to shout about is that working more than one job, even if it is convenient to do so thanks to digital tech, can easily lead to burnout.
And it’s tough to put all of your energy and attention into your day job or your second income stream if you are always trying to maximize your effectiveness no matter what you are doing.
Of course if your side hustle is really your passion project and you hope to eventually adopt it as your full time profession, you should have no problem doing what you need to get by in your day job.
This obviously isn’t great for business productivity, but with all of the aforementioned challenges that Millennials and Gen Z face in the job market and more broadly, perhaps that’s no bad thing.
Daring to dream is important
In spite of all the doom, gloom and pseudo-cynicism that we’ve gone through when tackling the topic of side hustle culture, it’s important to remember that in spite of all this, for a lot of under-40s it’s both a catharsis and a release from the 9 to 5.
Also this is not the first generation to have to work multiple jobs to get by, and it won’t be the last. So whatever way you look at the side hustle, just know that it is here to stay.
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