STRUCTURAL INEQUALITY: THE DEATH OF MERITOCRACY

The significant paradigm shift in society, in which meritocracy has largely ceased to be a pathway for upward mobility, replaced instead by inherited privilege and exclusive networks. While the content creator economy offers a seemingly democratized alternative, it presents a false meritocracy where access is broad but true visibility remains scarce. This shift is attributed to structural inequality, actively created through corporate policies and government actions. Consequently, many individuals turn to online identities, engaging in vicarious living where perception and appearance supersede reality as a coping mechanism for limited real-world opportunities.