As a broke college student, I find myself thinking about how 16-year-olds on TikTok make millions of dollars by throwing it back more often than I’d like to acknowledge. I could literally do what Charli D’Amelio does with my eyes closed, but do I get a single penny when I post a video of me absolutely killing the renegade? Tragically, no.
However, this reality could change with Trybe, a new social media network co-founded by Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger – go ahead and pause to let your confusion sink in. Trybe’s goal is to give power back to all of its users – creators and viewers alike – by offering a way to earn real money, regardless of follower counts. Ending the days of annoying ads, unfair algorithms and companies making money off of your data without compensating you is what Trybe is all about, but it sounds a little too good to be true, right? After all, Twitter users even suspected Avril Lavigne was hacked when she promoted the app in a recent tweet, and I don’t blame them.
New social platform Trybe has launched. No more giving away your creativity and time to social media giants. The new way-Social. Be yourself, be with your people, get rewards. See you on there https://t.co/zLUUGZEA84 pic.twitter.com/JlGt1WG20m
— Avril Lavigne (@AvrilLavigne) September 24, 2020
At the end of the day, social media is meant to be an outlet to have fun and express your creative side, and Trybe claims to make that the center of their purpose. The new network seems to have no strings attached for users, and puts the content you post and your ability to profit at the top of their priority. They claim that “the next generation of social media will be driven by people rewarding one another,” and believe that the Trybe platform is capable of benefiting everyone that chooses to engage with it.
So why not make a little moola by posting a dancing video, thirst trap, or your fire weekend brunch with the girlies? Doesn’t sound too shabby to me at the surface level, but something still seems… off. Like why is the lead singer of Nickelback behind this? How (and why) did they get Avril Lavigne – of all celebrities – to hype it up? What exactly does it mean to make money off your content or positive behavior in the community? How much money are we really talking about, and where does the money come from? There are lots of suspicions left unaddressed, so if you want to get to the bottom of it like I do, you can join the waitlist now.
Any other year, I’d probably be dying over the fact that the lead singer of Nickelback is trying to go toe to toe with Facebook and Instagram, but right now? The creation of Trybe is pretty tame compared to the other curveballs that 2020 has thrown our way, so if you see me on there trying to get my bag, mind your business!