In recent years, teenagers are no longer waiting for summer jobs; they are making their own businesses from their phones.
There used to be lemonade stands and babysitting, but with all the ideas, you can access online marketplaces from social media. With apps like Depop, Instagram, TikTok, etc., teen creators are using these platforms to sell clothes, footwear, and accessories, and all of this is from home.
According to NY post, “New data has been found that 2 out of 5 teenagers are actively earning money online in the US. An increasing number of 12–18-year-olds are earning more money through digital channels than they are through employment in 2024.”
Phones and the internet have become universally popular. According to a recent survey, about 95% of the U.S. teens have access to a phone. Teens have been earning money from their phones and developing entrepreneurial skills and sometimes they make a good amount of income doing that.
Many teens create content like videos and posts on social media apps, and earn that money through ads, merch, and sponsorships. Some teens sell clothing and other items that they no longer need or use to make money. Sometimes they also make money from creating new items and products by selling them on online marketplaces.
Alaa Houmran is a teen who frequently supports and buys from online marketplaces. When asked about experience shopping online, Alaa said, “I buy a lot of things from online marketplaces, like when teens sell them on social media apps, and there are always new things popping up.”
She explained that she likes supporting small businesses, especially teen sellers. However, she mentioned that online shopping can be a risk. “Sometimes the products are real and good quality, but other times it could be a scam and fake. I’ve ordered things that never arrived, or didn’t even look advertised,” she explained.
Alaa said she has learned to be more careful. “Now I check reviews, comments, and who the seller is before I buy anything. Even though there are scams, I still shop online because most of the time it’s worth it,” she added.
For teens interested in gaming and streaming, there are many platforms where you can earn that money through the number of views, sponsorships, etc. If you’re not interested in gaming, you can earn money by tutoring and helping people with their homework or helping them with what they need help with online, and without having to leave your home.
About 1 student in every high school has been qualified as a “high earner” making $10,000 or more per year from their online marketing job.
For many young entrepreneurs who make a good income from selling and marketing products, usually do it for saving for their own goals, helping family, or learning how to manage their money.
Starting from a typical teen job like working part time in a store, restaurant, or babysitting, etc., often needs a certain age, transportation, or fixed hours. But with a phone and internet, teens could easily access and become entrepreneurs.
Not everyone earns money super quickly when starting online marketing. The average earnings a teen makes is a few hundred dollars a year. Only a small fraction of them reaches $10,000+ per year.
It takes effort and skill. It could depend on creativity, quality, and reliability for marketing. You also need to know how to manage your time with schools, or other activities like clubs or sports. For younger teens who are managing their money, taxes, and payments, and trying to avoid scams, you would need responsibility, and adult supervision to help you.
Ways to develop those skills are to understand marketing analytics and consumer behavior. Marketing trends change fast, but as an entrepreneur, it’s best to not follow those trends all the time, but to also make your own.
According to Forbes, “Young entrepreneurs are discovering that strategic personal branding on LinkedIn can accelerate their business growth faster than traditional networking methods.” LinkedIn allows kids to be young at 13 or 14 years old, so anyone can start young.
For young entrepreneurs, a phone isn’t just a tool you can use for social media and talking, but it also could be for business, and something creative where you can earn an income. This requires skill and effort.
