[socalgal2]

I don't think it would change at all. Look at creators on Youtube. The majority are clickbait and other crap, people trying to get money and/or influence. It doesn't require advertising by the platform. All it requires is the internet itself and nearly everyone on it. Ads might have accelerated things but the basic incentives are "more viewers = more money / influence", with or without ads. And those incentives eventually lead to where we are.

[mingus88]

Creators on YouTube do it for monetization. There are now multiple generations of youths for which “influencer” is their desired career. If you make it, you make it big.

They might pull in more money with sponsorships but they only got there because the algorithm put them at the top where the money is.

Don’t believe me? Look up the woman who shot up google HQ when they demonetized her channel.

[Poomba]

I know someone who got addicted to the influencer money in Tiktok and dropped out of a med school program because making 5 figures a month, taking videos of you wearing fancy clothes was way better than slogging thru med school