OnlyFans shot to fame after COVID-19 pandemic triggered job losses and women, who were the bread earners of the family, turned to the platform to provide for their families and keep the lights on. In a report by The New York Times, it was revealed that many women started selling their nudes online using OnlyFans, the social media platform where users sell original content to subscribers, but the outcome wasn't nearly as expected.
Not all women who joined the platform to make their ends meet struck gold. Taking case study of those who got extremely successful on the platform but many who just couldn't survive relying solely on OnlyFans, the NYT report talked about how unemployed women's struggles continued despite resorting to selling nudes online.
OnlyFans, which was found in 2016, had more than 90 million users as of December and more than a million creators, which was only 120,000 in 2019. This shows the competition on the platform is intense, which makes it next to impossible for everyone to have a fruitful income. While some succeed, majority suffers – and the damage extends beyond financial income from the job.
Hit or miss affair
NYT report gave examples of both success and failure by OnlyFans creators. One Savannah Benavidez lost her job as a medical biller during the pandemic and she created an OnlyFans account to take care of herself and her 2-year-old kid. She reportedly made $64,000 since July, which was more than enough to pay her own bills and even help out her friends and family with rent and car payments.
But one success story on OnlyFans doesn't mean others were met with same fate. Lexi Eixenberger, 22, who had lost three jobs during the pandemic and dropped out of hygiene school, she turned to OnlyFans. Unlike Benavidez, she only managed to make $500 so far.
Similarly, Elle Morocco who got laid off in July couldn't cover her $1,600 expenses so she joined OnlyFans in November. But to her luck, she only made $250 so far, which was even after having spent considerable amount of time creating, posting and promoting her content.
"It's a full-time job on top of your full-time job looking for work. Fans want to see you posting daily. You're always churning. You're always taking pictures to post," Morocco said.
"A lot of people are migrating to OnlyFans out of desperation," said Angela Jones, an associate professor of sociology at the State University of New York at Farmingdale. "These are people who are worried about eating, they're worried about keeping the lights on, they're worried about not being evicted."
Saturated market
The competition is really intense on OnlyFans. Success doesn't come easy as models, porn stars and celebrities with their massive social media following are ones who dominate on the platform. Some creators also get tips, which goes directly to them without OnlyFans commission, which is 20 percent.
The lack of social media following on platforms like Instagram and Twitter find it a challenge to get fans. Eventually, it turns out to be yet another dead-end for an income source.
Dire consequences
Even though the reward isn't promising, the consequences of being present on OnlyFans is not without risks. By joining the platform, women who have been laid off from their 9-5 jobs are risking future job potential.
OnlyFans creators are at constant risk of doxxing, a form of online harassment where users publish private information about someone without their consent, and capping, where users take unauthorized screenshots or recordings and share them on other platforms. Having a presence on the platform trims the chances of getting hired for traditional jobs in the future.
