Creator labor: Contradictions, continuities, and collective solidarity

For all of the novelty ascribed to the so-called “creator economy,” platform-dependent content creation is now, astonishingly, in its third decade. During this time, scholars, labor advocates, and creators themselves have directed inquiries into participants’ labor power, working conditions, and personal well-being; yet contradictions and contestations endure. In this commentary, I consider how an ecological framework can shed light on creators’ sense-making practices and organizing principles, illuminating changes as well as continuities with earlier forms of creative work. I then consider applications of this framework to emergent issues in creator labor, including platform politics, audience hostility, and the myriad uncertainties raised by GenAI. I close by advancing one of the Jaramillo-Dent and Latzer's most compelling assertions, namely that visualizations of power may provide a pathway for collective solidarity at this critical juncture.