The Worst Day Of Someone's Life Shouldn't Be Your Content Strategy
'Everything is content.' It's a mantra well known in the creator economy. Every meal, documented. Every matcha latte, photographed. Even a mundane errand—picking up dry cleaning—can become a backdrop for storytelling. Why? Because the next viral video can come from anything. And virality means followers, and followers mean monetization.
But in an era where influencers wield the ability to direct millions of people's attention toward a single moment, how intentional should they be with that power?
Yesterday, a controversy surrounding the CEO and an HR executive at startup Astronaut captured viral attention. Videos dissecting the event flooded TikTok and Instagram. Some offered commentary (dripping in schadenfreude), while others leaned into creating memes. Surprisingly, much of the content was posted by official corporate accounts capitalizing on the virality of the moment for marketing their product. To many viewers, it was just drama. But for the individuals involved, it was likely the worst day of their lives, played out for millions, on loop.
This kind of content creation raises the question: When is it citizen journalism, and when is it exploitation? Is it engaging in productive dialogue, or is it entertainment at someone else's expense?
And yes, I recognize the irony: by writing this, I too am participating in a moment that's already saturated the content cycle (ugh!). But I'm not interested in perpetuating the drama. I'm interested in what it reveals about the ecosystem we've built. One where pain can be packaged for clicks, and where the line between creator and commentator, journalist and entertainer, is more blurred than ever.
Creators today hold the kind of influence that used to be reserved for legacy media, and with that influence should come responsibility. The line between commentary and sensationalism is thinner than ever.
Doctors have the hippocratic oath. Venture capital firms often develop ethical investing theses: some won't invest in gambling, smoking, or other industries that promote harmful behavior. Creators, too, must develop a personal code of ethics.
At the same time, viewers should ask: Am I rewarding content that harms others?
In the attention economy, our eyeballs are votes and clicks are dollars. We shape the algorithm that enables creators' livelihood.
Not everything needs to be content. And sometimes, the most humane thing a creator can do is choose not to post.
If you're a creator, what's your line when it comes to storytelling and virality?A special thanks to Jean Luo for her contributions to this discussion.
Follow me on Instagram or LinkedIn. Check out my website.
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