Have You Ever Tried to Make Money Online?

Dec 02, 2019 · 67 comments
Monira (Bangladesh)
This article is really very interesting and effective . I think its must be helpful for us Thanks for sharing your informative . Keep it up. Thank you so much again.
Aidan Buck (Ottoson Middle School)
Yes, Rowan is still a businessman, even if what he is making money from is online.
Ryder Klein (Hoggard High School in Wilmington, NC)
Even if I personally see the whole Instagram Influencer and media empire trend as annoying, you can't say he's not a businessman just because he's a high-schooler who makes their money online. I think it's really impressive that someone who isn't even 16 can make over 10 grand a month just promoting stuff on Instagram. I've personally made some cash selling stuff online, and I learned a lot through the experience. I traded virtual items in a video game, and I ended up making $500 one summer just sitting at my computer. Each item has it's own supply and demand, and you can buy low and sell high, forming the game's own mini-economy. But making even just $500 required a lot of time and effort. That's why I find it so impressive to see what Rowan has done.
Skyla Madison (Hoggard High School in Wilmington, NC)
I would definitely say Rowan is a business man. Just because he’s a kid doesn't disqualify what he’s doing as a business. He’s working very hard and he’s doing quite well with it too. So he’s definitely running a business of sorts. You have to have good ideas and a good work ethic to make something like this work. I for one would be very happy to have something like this to bring in a second source of income to save for collage. I think that it is really great to see technology making a difference in this way. Making a new way for people to have jobs and participate in the economy. Really making jobs even more accessible. With something like that you don’t really even need transportation everyday to a place.
Samuel Jones (Hoggard high school, nc)
Making money online is good for both you and the economy. If more people start making money online, not only will they not have to drive anywhere, they can also be anywhere. I think that with the technology that we have, and moving forward, it will become easier and easier to make money online. Especially with youtube and videogames, more teenagers will become online “businessmen.” Though, I don’t think that businessman is the right word to use, since it’s not technically conducting “business”, even though you are making an amount of money based on how many views or followers, or any other way to make online money. I think that more people will figure out different ways to make online money since they can do it anywhere and its not a “dress up and go to work”sort of deal.
Celia Tillery (Bryant High School)
Rowan Winch is a businessman. But because he is not the normal contract-making, suit-and-tie version that many usually picture, adults probably don’t see him as one. When his Instagram account got deleted, he felt like he had lost his purpose. I think the best thing to do is to try and have a purpose again, whether that be continuing his smaller Instagram accounts, getting a job for fulfillment, or getting involved in extracurricular activities. I think Rowan’s parents are opposed to him selling things online because they are worried that he will fall into another obsession. Just like he became obsessed with his account, posting 100 times a day, they think he will do the same with his sales. I think many people my age get into selling things online; it’s a convenient way to make money. For example, there are some people in my school that make and sell decals. I also have a friend who sells her paintings on Facebook Marketplace. However, I think there is only a slim amount that do it for networking. Selling things usually isn’t about connecting with buyers because they just want the product, not the creator.
Matthew Luhrsen (Hoggard High School in Wilmington, NC)
I have never done something like this I have thought about it though and just the other day I made an account on Instagram for this reason. I want clout I don’t want it for friends but if I’m telling the truth it’s for the money and to get my name out there. I think every kids dream is to become so popular on Instagram or Snapchat or YouTube that’s your job and it’s mine I’ll tell u that. 100 if thousands kid make accounts and post YouTube videos to try to to do this but the odds of success are low. My friend has a YouTube channel and is not doing that bad I think he had about 1000 subs which is good for a start. But the thing is you have to stick with it I bet when Rowan started his meme account on Instagram it took a while to get all those followers. My thing is do it your free time it won’t hurt it can only help and if you do blow up then maybe you can make a living out of it.
Amy Palmer (Hoggard High School in Wilmington, NC)
I do believe that Rowan should be considered a businessman. Even though he is young and does not have a stereotypical job, he has built a successful business. He has worked as hard as any adult would have to build this business and is obviously very passionate about it. Most adults probably would not consider him a businessman because they would not be willing to give him the respect he deserves. I think they would consider it a hobby since it is on social media. However, since he is making more money than most adults I think he deserves this respect. I think that since his meme account has been deleted he should try to start another business that his parents approve of. If they won’t allow him to start another business, getting a job may teach him things that will help him start another business when he is older. I think his parents want him to have more of a life offline because his business took all his free time and he was not focusing on school or a social life. Also he was not pursuing any other interests such as sports or the arts. They probably want him to be more well rounded. I know a lot of people that have tried to make money online and some of them were successful. I think making money online would be so cool.
Yates Kirby (Hoggard High School)
This kid is what I aspire to be, making money from many endeavors and not tied down to an employers schedule, able to work when I want, and doing what I love. I think that people who say that “being a youtuber isn't a real job” or “ad revenue isn't real revenue” are ignorant and jealous of someone else’s success. This kid is making money by providing a service to others of which they desire. Making over 10k a month is an amazing feat and I tip my hat to him. Most people will never make 10k a month and this kid has and he isn't even 16. I would most certainly call him a businessman. I can see this type of income becoming what television is today; people put out a show and are paid by companies to advertise their products on their show. This is exactly what this kid is doing, putting 10 ads a day out to his followers and being paid to do so. It's very profitable and people make 7 figures doing it today. While you can make money doing it, it’s very hard to do. I have tried many things in order to make money online. Its very hard to gain traction because you have to come up with something unique and different; maybe only your own style of content. A Lot of people attempt this and are lured into it with stories like this but soon fall off the wagon. It's like the gold rush of the 1860’s. Many are lured by the prospect of becoming rich but many fall off the wagon. You have to consistently produce good content because you never know what will catch on and take off.
Lizbeth Bolanos (Hoggard High School in Wilmington, NC)
@Yates Kirby I completely agree with you, most adults don't take this as a job of consideration, working for Youtube and posting on instagram may seem like an unusual job that no one would get paid for but this kid is making big steps into our future. He is very much a businessman and I’m glad he was honest about what he was aiming for. He should gain more recognition for his success, because as you said it’s hard to start selling things online because of constant changing world of wants people have. He talked about since the beginning of the morning he has to start working, it’s not an easy thing to do and I think we should all be supportive in his field of work.
Ian Condon (Hoggard High School)
I have tried to make money online and have always been unsuccessful. In this day and age, it is almost impossible to become as popular or profitable as Rowan. You will have to do hours of work a day posting, selling, and buying to resell, which a majority of people don’ have the time to do. The whole reason people try to get money online is because of how supposedly simple and easy it is. But this is never the case. No one wants to put any time into something that was not supposed to take any effort at all, like Rowan - all they want to do is make money fast. And this is where all the scams happen. Websites that say “Just put in your credit card number and you can win big!” in large bold letters are commonplace these days. And everyone falls for them. In the end, there is a pile of people who hope to be a social media star and have wasted their lives to do so and another of people who have gone completely broke from scams. I thought this problem was so bad, I started to try to create a solution. I am working on a way for both me and the customers to be able to make money online without being scammed or having to work a single hour. It is called QuickBuck. In this solution, the customer buys a Buck and the price goes up, when another customer buys after them, the first customer can sell to make a profit. I hope that my solution will one day be a thing so that people can finally make money online without having to dedicate their day to it.
olivia (boston)
I wish that more adults would realize that you dont need a "regular" job such as financing teaching being a doctor engineer police officer etc to be succsesful. Having a job online can help you express more of your interests and it is easier to be yourself online and honestly is a lot more fun. I dont feel like grown adults would see himas a buisnessmanbecause that is what he does. He runs a buisness and is succsessful as well as bring in a few bucks whilst he is at it. Because his account got shut down maybe people could come together and help get his account back and in the meanwhile he could make a new page and make himself big again. I think a lot of kids my age try and make money in any way they can so it wouldnt be any suprise to me if someone has tried to get money online somehow. If you get enough "clout" which means fame on any ap the app may even give you ads on your posts which bring in money and other buisnesses may reach out to you to and ask you to promote their product for their folllowers to see. SO in my opinion what Rowan is doing is a good idea.
David Laakso (Norwood High School ma)
obviously it would be more reliable to get a "regular Job" but not as interesting and fun, so if he can just make as much money as possible and when that stops being a completely reliable income then it might be a good idea to start thinking of a more reliable income to cover his basic living cost. I do respect him for making a different pathway to success and it shows that you don't have to go to college to be successful.
Matthew Luhrsen (Hoggard High School in Wilmington, NC)
@ David laakso I see what your saying and I think that your right but all the money he’s making now if it stops that fine for him he’s only 15. His parents will make the money and he can put the money he makes away for after school or to go to college for he can invest it and make huge money back he does not have to worry about what he will do if the money stops. But what you said at the end of how you like it how he can make a living by not going to college I also think it’s really cool. It’s very smart of him and he probably won’t ever have to work because he started so young and got the “clout” at his age. He will probably do better in his life then both of us.
Samantha Rogala (Norwood High School, Norwood, MA)
I think Rowan should be considered a businessman. He does something he cares about, makes a living off of it, and made a name for himself at a young age. I doubt that many adults would see him as one, because social media isn't as big of a deal to them and not as big a part of their lives. I think many teens I know sell things online, not for clout, but to make money. Apps like Poshmark and Depop allow you to sell and ship your unwanted clothes to people around the country. I sometimes buy secondhand clothes online because they are cheaper and it is easy to do. Since his account was deleted, I think Rowan should open another one. He was successful with the first, and since he already has a name for himself, I don't think it would be hard for him to become popular with another account. He is clearly passionate about his business. I think clout is just another term for popularity, or how cool your online personality is. Rowan worked to gain popularity and I respect his efforts.
Stephanie Cueva (King Of Prussia, PA)
I think it's accurate to call Rowan Winch a "businessman" because he was really fortunate that his online business was a success. I don't think adults would see him as a businessman because of how he earns his money, through memes. They would see this as a useless way to earn money. I think that what could help Rowan is for him to get more involved with getting a part-time job that he would enjoy or get involved by going after an extracurricular activity. I think that Rowan's parents are opposed to his selling things online because he's always on a screen and not getting involved with other people in his life. I feel that people my age often get involved into selling things online for the money they can earn very often. I feel that some people would not build online relationships with people who follow them on social media because of how their personality might be. Personally, I just use social media as a way to post photos and get into contact with friends. I don't use it to get money.
Anthony Garcia (California)
I believe that most people would be better off with a traditional job than to try and make money online. Just because trying to make money online takes time and probably more effort. Also realistically getting a professional job would be better for your future.
Sahil Patel (Hoggard High School in Wilmington, NC)
Part 1- Rowan Winch was extremely fortunate that his online business was a success. Ever since technology has revolutionized our lives, teenagers all over the world have been attempting to create their own startup companies. However, Rowan was not successful on his first attempt. He had been carrying out internet-related businesses every since he was in middle school. This demonstrates that it requires experience and perseverance to have a successful business and that teens who are new to the internet will most likely be unsuccessful. I believe that online startup companies are extremely risky for teenagers to carry out. A negative effect that online businesses have on teenagers is that they can deviate the focus of a student away from education and academics. For example, Rowan would be on the Internet whenever he had the opportunity in school, such as during study hall. This almost certainly interfered with his ability to learn. While he could have been working on his schoolwork or receiving help from his teachers, he was on his phone, searching the internet for images and memes. Additionally, having a business can create unnecessary stress and pressure on teenagers. Owning and operating a business is a full time job itself, and Rowan had to do this on top of managing his schoolwork. He had to wake up at 6 a.m. every morning and would receive almost no time to relax and enjoy his life.
Matt Dougherty (J. R. Masterman)
I think that it is accurate to call Rowan a businessman, because even though he might not be making money in the most traditional way, he is still making money nonetheless. I don’t think that most adults would call him one, though. I think that people my age are getting into selling things online pretty often. I think that most of it is about building online relationships with people who follow them on social media. I personally am not into selling things online.
Demetrius H. (Julia R. Masterman)
I don’t know if I could call him a businessman, but I know most people wouldn’t at all. To answer the title, yes, but I knew it wouldn’t work out. People our age do stuff like this often so, at this point I could care less about clout. Clout exists, I guess. I wouldn’t say that you’d get connections from it, but I also wouldn’t know. Just let them do what they want. Rowan may and will inspire others, but for every one person that does this, a thousand fail.
Sam McNamara (John T. Hoggard High (Wilmington, NC))
@Demetrius H. I think you're right that businessman would not be a proper title for Rowan. After all, a businessman sets out with the intention of making a profit by providing consumers with some sort of a good or service. Rowan was not looking for money, so much as he was doing something he enjoyed as a means to acquire clout. Monetary gain can be a side effect of clout, but it wasn't his primary goal and therefore he can't be identified as a businessman. However, I would have to disagree with you that clout doesn't give you connections. When people are well-known, others in positions of influence are more likely to help them if they need it. Without clout, most people will not notice you, let alone spend their time to help you. With as selfish as people have become today, unless someone is in an influential position themselves, they are unlikely to receive much help from those they don't already have connections with. This is why clout can be very important and provide useful connections and relationships.
Sahil Patel (Hoggard High School in Wilmington, NC)
Part 2- It is perfectly understandable why Rowan, along with numerous other teenagers are so desperate to create online businesses. Not only can online companies provide you with the opportunity to potentially make millions of dollars but as the article explains, your social status can rise and you can stand out in the eyes of college recruiters. I believe that for the most part, the chances of having a successful online business is equivalent to the chances of winning a lottery. Sure, teens can take the risk and try starting their own business; however, they have to be aware that they will most likely not have 1.2 million followers like Rowan. As long as teenagers are prepared to fail, have a backup plan, and do not sacrifice their education at the cost of their business, there is absolutely no reason why they cannot attempt to follow the footsteps of Rowan.
Akye Nixon-McCray (Hoggard High School in Wilmington, NC)
@Sahil Patel I agree with your assessment. Really, I think that starting anything new is just taking a risk. Like you said, the odds of having a successful online business are very low, especially for teenagers. I agree that starting an online business could possible waste time that could be put into other things, but why not try? Doing this might not make you famous, but someone could possibly learn new skills by searching. Just like you said, "there is absolutely no reason why they cannot [try]"
Brianna K. (J.R Masterman)
Even though I have never personally tried to make money online I know that for many people getting money online is their only source of income. Depending on what website you get money from it could be very easy or more difficult. Like on ebay it would be easier to get money if you’re selling something people want. If you were to get money through youtube instead it would be harder to get money because you need some type of fan-base to get money. I think it’s a good idea for kids who either can’t get a job or if you just need some extra cash. If you do the right things you can get a lot of money online.
Payton Otto (Norwood High School, MA)
I think Rowan's story would inspire a lot of people, it is very interesting and it sounds like he worked very hard to get in this position. I don't think many adults would see him as a businessman because they grew up with jobs, not the internet. Adults think of the Internet as a helpful source to them, not a job. I think Rowan should try a real job, so he can socialize with people and try something new to see if he likes it. Maybe the internet job he had is not what he is supposed to be doing, if he tries different things out then maybe he will find something else that he likes. I think a lot of people my age have sold things online, or created a YouTube channel or an Instagram account to earn money. Kids my age get into this situation because all of them grew up with technology around them, so the best way we think to get a job is through the internet. But, that is not always the case. I have never sold anything online before, so I don't know what it is like to earn money through the internet. I think clout is refereed to how much impact you make during your job on the internet. Whether it is selling something, creating a YouTube account or creating an Instagram account.
Ray (J.R. Masterman)
My parents are quite restrictive when it comes to me and my siblings’ internet usage, so although I am interested in making money in some way or another on the internet I am not allowed to. However, one of my friends has a Redbubble account. She is a very talented artist and Redbubble is a website where you can post your art. People can then purchase your design on a sweatshirt, a mug or some other accessory like a mouse pad. For every sale you make you get a cut of the money made by the website. I am not talented at art, so I cannot make money this way. However, I do play the popular TCG (Trading Card Game) Magic: The Gathering, of which certain cards can sell for a lot. I don’t sell my cards online though because I sell them to my LGS (Local Game Store) for a percent of the money I could make online so I can support them and help keep a small bussiness open. So although making money online seems interesting, I just don’t have a way to.
Owen Cheung (J.R. Masterman, Philadelphia)
The article’s tagline is “Rowan Winch is 15. He’s a businessman.” Do you think it’s accurate to call him a “businessman”? Do you think adults would see him as a businessman? Why or why not? I do think that it is accurate to call him a businessman because he is earning money and he is doing it by himself without help. I don't think that adults would think of him as a businessman because of his age and how he does business. How often do you think people your age get into selling things online for the money they can earn? How much of it is about building online relationships with people who follow them on social media? Where do you personally fall into this mix? I think that not very often kids my age sell things online for a profit because most of the time, they want to keep the item instead of selling it. I mean you don’t always sell things to people you know, there are now websites specially made to sell shoes and clothes. The way I fall into the mix is that I am one of the few people that sell things online for a profit because it is a great way of making money at my age
Erika Zeng (J.R. Masterman)
I would define clout as recognition and somewhat respect. When a person has clout, you could say that they’re well-known. It’s similar to what is described in this article, because by garnering such a gargantuan following, Rowan gained clout. Someone might go down the path he did because it’s significantly easier to post memes than to make your own original content. If I sold things online — which I do — I would definitely need to leverage my social media accounts. I promote what I sell by tagging my posts, including keywords, and even just putting up small reminders with more keywords to make sure that my posts will show up fairly regularly and will not be lost in the whirl of time.
Jonah Smith Posner (J.R. Masterman)
I personally have not made any money online, although I know some people who have. One of my friends made around 20,000 dollars on Ebay. He did this by selling a widely known Magic the Gathering card named Jace, the Midsculpter. When the buyer received their Jace they were not happy with what they got and almost sued my friend. When I heard about this, I was reassured that if you are going to sell or do anything online you have to be careful about what you sell and who you sell it to.
Delaney Daughtridge (Hoggard High School in Wilmington, NC)
I have met so many people at school who resell things online. I’ve seen people not pay attention in class because there’s a Supreme drop happening. Reselling designer clothes is a huge market for a lot of teenagers. I think they still work traditional jobs to help them buy the clothes in the first place. Kids like Rowan having meme pages with over a million followers is a huge thing that most adults don’t understand. He would sell ads to other pages to help their following. At one point he was making $10,000 a month and more. He’s bought himself an iPhone XR, Saint Laurent shoes, and a Gucci wallet. Those are things that most teenagers wouldn’t ever be able to buy on their own. Online careers are so perfect for teenagers. We all have a phone in our pockets. We know what’s trendy and how to get it. We can do stuff anytime anywhere. We wouldn’t have to have an afterschool job or a summer job. I would definitely try to make money online anytime I needed some extra cash.
Riley Robinson (PA)
The internet has many places were teens can make extra money. Such as websites that sell clothes, YouTube creators, gamers, rare things on ebay etc. In my experience, it can be a tough way to earn money, although it is a great alternative to getting a job that is not through the internet. I have sold a few items on ebay, although a few sold, many others didn't. What I don't like about selling on ebay and getting money online in general is that it is not reliable. You do not have a constant paycheck. Things that are not consistent can become an annoyance in someone's life. For example, you can post things on ebay but there is no guarantee that you will get that money. Another aspect that I do not like is that it is not a traditional job, or at least the ones that I have been told to consider traditional. I think that in a traditional job you would have a steady paycheck and you would have to communicate with others which may be something that lacks if everything was done online. You get many experiences through in person jobs like interviews, dealing with mean bosses, other social aspects, and working for others other than yourself. If you only had an online job you may lack these important things that are life skills. I think Rowans situation is not reality and essentially people can get “famous” for reasons that they shouldn't be “famous” for.
Sadie Dunne (Hoggard High school in Wilmington, NC)
@Riley Robinson I certainly agree with you that it's incredibly simple to sell almost anything you want online and that there are a million different websites to choose from on which to buy and sell items. As a teenager, I would definitely consider the idea of maybe selling items such as clothes I don't need anymore on the internet, but as an adult, I would prefer to have a steady income and career that I could fully rely on. When you sell things online, there's never a guarantee that they will sell, or when they'll sell, so I think the part I would hate the most is not knowing when my next supply of money was going to come in. I personally think that Rowan is a successful business person, and that he was smart about his marketing choices and the things which he sold. However, I do agree with you that his situation is a select one and that his type of fame rarely occurs.
Lauren McGowan (Hoggard High School in Wilmington, NC)
Rowan Winch, a 15 year old boy, started out by buying name brand clothes like, supreme and gucci, and resold them on designer consignment shop websites. He then proceeded to make a meme page and ended up making around $10,000 a month which is more than most people make coming out of school with a four year college degree. In reality, Rowan hit the jackpot when it comes to online shopping and has made a living for himself. I like the fact that he didn’t want to do it for the money, but for the “clout”. This word can be perceived in a negative context, but Rowan was really just talking about creating a name for himself. He wants other companies, and larger employers to notice him.
Jacob Savage (Hoggard High School Wilmington, NC)
I have made a little cash on the internet (selling things on instagram and snapchat) but I do not think it would be able to be your main source of revenue. I have sold a couple surfboards by just putting pictures of them on my social media and asking if anyone wants to buy them, a very unofficial and casual thing which is great to do when you're young and don't need a lot of money. This however, is not in my opinion, an option when you get older and need to pay for things such as gas and food and college. You need a steady source of revenue coming from a real job (or two or three) not from the internet where it depends on other people how much money you make. An exception to everything I just said is Rowan Winch. What he did is incredible. Making 10,000 a week just for posting memes on his instagram account is the life. There are few people in the world who can make a living like this though. Bloggers/youtubers like Jake Paul, Emma Chamberlain, and Jacob Sartorious are examples of this small percentage of people who can get rich doing something like this. It would be great to just post videos or memes and get rich like this and not have to work a day in your life but it is just not realistic. For most people to be successful in the world they need a real job not just to have a social media presence.
Marisa Silk (Norwood High School, Norwood, MA)
Rowan's story does reflect how our society is changing rapidly as does technology. There has been a drastic increase in teenagers using social media for an income because it is the quickest and easiest way to do so. There are many Instagram accounts of girls at my school that make accounts to sell their clothing for extra cash. This can be beneficial and a quick way for high school kids to make money, especially before college. However, it calls safety into question and the idea of work ethic. Is this an easy way out to gain money instead of actually putting oneself out into the workforce? I believe this can be helpful, but that teenagers should try to obtain a job and then do this on the side for extra cash. This allows teenagers to learn what it means to hold a job, the necessary preparation for the real-world after high school. I think you can consider Rowan a businessman because he did use thoughtful strategies with technology to make a profit. This is a new and often way of people of every age to gain an income. It can be smart and helpful but has to be used in the right way.
Madison Everhart (Hoggard High School Wilmington, NC)
I’ve never tried to make money online, but I know people who have tried and wasn’t successful like Rowan was. Teenagers (like Rowan himself) spend too much time on trying to make a profit like that. Rowan is somewhat of a business man I mean yes he got lucky and got the clout he wanted but also many other teenagers do the same thing and don’t get the same outcome! Does that make them business people as well? No it doesn’t. Take my brother for instance he’s so focused on making money and trying to get clout (just like Rowan) it’s taken up most of his life and then he’s devastated when he doesn’t receive the recognition he thinks he deserves. So I have never tried to earn a profit online cause I know I won’t get lucky like that and it’ll save the heartache.
Jack Huo (Hoggard High School WIlmington, NC)
Rowan, through his dedication and love for social media and memes, gained over a million followers on Instagram. With an internet following came attention and advertisers, and Rowan was able to make money from advertising on his meme account. I believe it wouldn't be incorrect to call him a businessman, he clearly knew enough to make thousands of dollars a month in this method. However, I and many adults cannot call him a businessman, at least not a motivated one, just for the simple fact he makes money People offered him money to advertise on his account, and he took it. He himself states that his original intent in the account was not for profit, but rather for clout, online reputation and influence. It is evident that being an internet influencer comes with its risks, and is not a very reliable source of income. Rowan says he just wanted to have connections and be financially secure by monetizing what he likes doing, implying Rowan was committed to doing this for a while. So when his Instagram meme account was deleted, he said he felt he has lost his purpose. In my opinion, this could be an opportunity for him to explore other things offline. If his daily routine followed what the beginning of the article says, then that would be a rather unhealthy lifestyle. The article says little to nothing of Rowan's academics, social life, or the like. For someone who spends the majority of his waking hours online, something else might've caused his mother's frustration.
Syrea Roland (Hoggard High School in Wilmington NC)
I actually have tried to make money online, but not so much because of scams, and more so games then like google or safari. And I know most of it, well really all in my opinion are scams but it’s just that little bit of hope that’s it’s not, you know. So talking about the article it says it’s many ways to make money on the internet like Instagram. When I seen the title question I immediately thought oh, the ads where it says you have won a chance to get a $100 amazon card or something. But it’s talking about selling things. So Rowan your average teen boy, loving the clout and the chase of it. Being on social media all day trying to make people laugh and smile, and wanting to get props for it. He wants to have a name in the world, have connections and just be financially stable, and I do to but I won’t go viral for anything. It seems so easy just make a post go viral , get your followers up and that’s that, but it’s not it’s actually kind of hard to go viral...speaking from experience. You know you get the laughs or the likes but not enough to call it viral. To me the only way to go viral is by not trying, just posting something and it happening. I find it funny how he started off selling stickers promoting them on Snapchat to his classmates, wouldn’t think he started off that way. I see a full career set for him in being a businessman. He started young continued on, and grew, in the matter of a few years, and is already making money, by making people watch ads.
Lauren McGowan (Hoggard High School in Wilmington, NC)
I have seen plenty of apps that offer ways to make money online, but most of them have an age obligation. Others, I just don’t trust and half the time think they are a scam. For example, there is an app where you can walk peoples dogs for them, but you have to be at least 18 years old to register. I have tried selling my clothes online on an app called Poshmark, but I found it more complicated than just selling it to one of my friends. A lot more people are starting to use apps like Instagram to sell clothes or other nick nacks that they are wanting to get rid of. Facebook really integrated this by creating “Facebook Marketplace” which is where my parents bought my sisters car. I have always been interested in Youtube, which is also something that a lot of teenagers are beginning to use as a business platform. Most kids are making a living just by doing that, and are just skipping the college part. The article talks about how Rowan Winch sells ads on his Instagram page, which is also something that is popular in the Youtube world. Many companies sponsor videos, which allows for you to earn at most $10,000 for just one sponsored video.
Ethan, Pinkey (Hoggard High School in Wilmington, NC)
Is Rowan a business man? Yes. Rowan has created an online empire that supports his happy wealthy life style, buying Gucci, Saint Laurent, and a Tesla in the near future, all of this at an incredibly young age. To say that he isn't a business man would be insulting to him because he makes more than enough money to support himself, provide a good/service to consumers, and still balance that with a school and social life. I believe every kid at some point fantasizes about doing what they love for a living and making money on the internet and making quick money from their bed, desk or around their house. Some influencers also hit a certain level of fame where they decide that they see this as a forever career or to support them through retirement so college or even finishing high school seems unnecessary so they drop out to persue their passion. While I don't condone dropping out of high school, internet fame and money has proven to make enough money to pay bills and live a comfortable lifestyle so why not consider it a business.
Paul Sobol "Car Guru" (J.R Masterman)
I don’t believe that I would call him a businessman. I would call him a memes poster. He would just take something from someone else and post it to make money. Adults would find him as a kid trying to make money with some jokes and memes he didn’t make up. Adults would call him a businessman if he went to business school, if he has employees collecting from outside resources, and if he has a well-built plan for his so called “business”.
Jack Huo (Hoggard High School WIlmington, NC)
@Paul Sobol "Car Guru" Him taking content from others and posting it on his own account may also have been a factor in the deletion of his account by Instagram. You cannot deny he was dedicated to his accounts, but it is understandable why he can't be regarded as a businessman by many.
Iris M. (J. R. Masterman)
I think that yes, it is accurate to call Rowan a businessman, because the Merriam-Webster dictionary gives the definition of businessman as “a man who transacts business”, and Rowan does transact business. On the other hand, I don’t think adults will see him as a businessman because many adults in this day and age think of a businessman as someone who works in a “real job” that’s not online.
Ryan Altschuler (J.R Masterman School)
Rowan has accumulated thousands of dollars over the years from his growing Instagram account @zuccccccccccc, which his target was to post 100 times a day. All of which he was able to accomplish by himself. He built his account from the ground up and even when some of the things he posted weren’t popular, he still put a lot of time and effort and make the account grow. Through his dedication he was able to earn a good amount of money. He is a businessman. He seems to have found a way to make a name for himself first through buying and selling stickers and then through his meme account. With his account, he posted hundreds of memes a day knowing how kids can spend hours on social media looking at memes, and was able to target that audience.
Zhaire Easley (J.R Masterman School, PA)
I believe it is accurate to call Rowan Winch a businessman because he is pursuing an activity/job that he is making money from. I think adults wouldn’t consider him as a businessman because they wouldn’t think he’s old enough and they wouldn’t think he’s well-experienced. I think Rowan could get help by contacting Instagram and letting them know his interest is to make memes and that is what he wants to do. Rowan’s parents are probably opposed to him selling things online because they don’t believe it is a professional job/activity and maybe they think it isn’t safe. I believe kids my age probably rarely sell things online for money they can earn. I believe it’s not about building relationships with others, its more about advertising for money. I personally do not sell things because the internet is not safe nowadays. To me, clout is power/influence, which is similar to how it is used in the article. If I was involved with online sales, I would use social media platforms to promote what I sell by putting up advertisements and tags. I’d also put my website link to my sales in my “bio” or “About Me” section.
Sahil Patel (Hoggard High School in Wilmington, NC)
@Zhaire Easley I agree with your statement that it is accurate to call Rowan a businessman since after all, he did pursue an activity that allows him to receive money. Even though adults may indeed refuse to perceive Rowan as a businessman, he is creating an online business and is definitely doing what would normally be a full-time job. Rowan’s parents have an excellent point that creating a business is not sustainable and safe. It would be significantly less riskier to stay on the path of academics and not rely on followers for money. I also do not buy/sell things online or attempt to create any online business. I agree that the internet is not safe due to hackers and viruses and that it is extremely risky to post personal images and videos online. A primary reason that I do not attempt to create an online business is because I am not extremely computer-savvy and am aware of the fact that I will most likely be unsuccessful if I try. In addition, creating an online company would alter my focus from academics and for the most part, I do not have the time to be successful both in business and in school. However, if I had the time and knowledge, I would definitely attempt to create an online business.
Shylah (Norwood Highschool, MA)
Rowan's story is very interesting and has brought the question of making money online into a more foreseeable perspective. The idea if very thought captivating and sort of mind-boggling. I, personally, have not tried to make money online. Although, with some background research, I think making money online would be a good idea under certain circumstances
Shylah (Norwood Highschool, MA)
Rowan's story is very interesting and has brought the question of making money online into more of a foreseeable prospective. If this idea of being able to make money online was more available then I would think it'd be a good idea. Personally, I have not tried to make money online, but the thought of it definitely catches my attention and I would try it, with background research of course.
Samantha (Archmere Academy)
Rowan has garnered thousands of dollars and a huge following over the years, all things he has done by himself. He built his account from the ground up through his dedication caused by his desire for clout. He is a businessman. He seems to have found a way to make a name for himself first through buying and selling stickers and then through his meme account. With his account, he posts hundreds of memes a day knowing how the algorithm of social media works. That is the mind of a businessman and I think with this work ethic and understanding, he could go far in a lot of he does.
Sarah (Archmere Academy)
I think it is accurate to call Rowan a businessman. If a businessman is an entrepreneur, then Rowan is definitely one. He may not make money in a traditional way, but he operates a business and makes money from it. I think that adults would struggle to see him as a businessman just because it's so nontraditional, especially for adults. When most adults think of businessmen, they think of people working in an office, doing desk work and going to meetings. Rowan has adapted to today's society and used his skills to make a profit much larger than some adults make as "traditional businessmen".
Shiv (King of Prussia, PA)
In my opinion, clout is a lot like fame. In other words, people who have lots of clout are very popular and cool. I would call Rowan a businessman, although this is an unusual field to be making money in. He is making money through unconventional yet effective means. When I first heard the title of this article, I thought that this article would be about selling items through Amazon, or eBay. However, he may not be paying income tax. He spends a great deal of time online, and it may be wrecking his life outside of the Internet, at least, in his parents' view. Without the Internet, Rowan has nothing. His parents want him to expand outside of the Internet in order to experience a variety of circumstances. Many people in my age group just want to make the extra buck. I am not aware of anyone who is building up clout for "specifically" one purpose: to create meaningful online relationship with people in order to set up their future. I, personally, am not currently involved but would like to in the future in such a business.
Heather N. (Archmere Academy)
I have made money off selling things online too. Often I will resell objects of high value I find in thrift stores. I find it extremely respectable that at such a young age, Rowan was able to see what society likes and make money off of that: being ahead of the curve is an important aspect of business and making money. I would consider Rowan a business because he was able to utilize a popular thing, memes, and capitalize off of it. It probably took work of finding good memes, and time to allow all of his followers to amount. So yes, I do consider him a business man,
Ian Condon (Hoggard High School)
@Heather N. I think that is incredibly fortunate that Rowan was able to make money online. While most people are able to make a couple of bucks here or there, it is very rare that someone can be even half as successful as him, and even more rare to be making 6 figures at his age. Yes, people have made money online before, but the market simply is not there for everyone to be like Rowan.
Fiona T. (Archmere Academy)
In my opinion making money online can seem easier than putting the work in to get a job, but it can be risky too. The internet is so deep and their are so many bad people on it doing scams and other things. Buying items and then reselling them online or making youtube videos is in my opinion are the best options on making money online. I wish I could make $10,000 a month simply by posting memes online.
Evan Peña (Hoggard High School)
@Fiona T. Making that large sum of money was not as easy as just reposting memes. Rowan is ahead of the curve of society and he knows what people want and enjoy. The amount of time he spends on finding the right pictures to upload really speaks for itself. He knows the crowd he appeals to and he knows how to keep them interested and happy. All these things play a part in his success as an internet businessman.
Luke C (Archmere Academy)
I believe Rowan thinks he really lost his purpose when his account got deleted. It seems he worked very hard to build his account and having it deleted must be very detrimental to Rowan and his mental health. When it comes to the parents saying he should get involved offline, I think he should completely disregard what his parents are saying. He should put in all of his effort into rebuilding a new account, and make sure he does not post anything offensive again to have it deleted. The future is making money online, and I think the parents are completely oblivious to what Rowan is making of his online life.
Zoe U (Glenbard West HS Glen Ellyn, IL)
@Luke C You present a reasonable argument as to why Rowan’s parents were wrong to restrict his technology usage—that Rowan finds joy in the Internet. Restricting the technology usage of someone whose primary social interactions occur online can cause that person to feel depressed due to lack of communication. Although I agree with these ideas, I also believe that there is a problem with limiting oneself to social interaction exclusively on the internet. Friends and followers made online can easily come and go because they are not actively involved in your life. On the contrary, friends made in person often make a personal connection and, therefore, are more likely to remain your friends. My point is that it is important to have steady friends in addition to those you make online. I believe that people who make their careers online suffer from a lack of social interaction. To solve this problem, Rowan’s parents take what I believe to be a justifiable course of action: asking their child to explore jobs or extracurriculars to increase his social interaction.
Zoe U (Glenbard West HS Glen Ellyn, IL)
@Luke C You present a reasonable argument as to why Rowan’s parents were wrong to restrict his technology usage—that Rowan finds joy in the Internet. Restricting the technology usage of someone whose primary social interactions occur online can cause that person to feel depressed due to lack of communication. Although I agree with these ideas, I also believe that there is a problem with limiting oneself to social interaction exclusively on the internet. Friends and followers made online can easily come and go because they are not actively involved in your life. On the contrary, friends made in person often make a personal connection and, therefore, are more likely to remain your friends. My point is that it is important to have steady friends in addition to those you make online. I believe that people who make their careers online suffer from a lack of social interaction. To solve this problem, Rowan’s parents take what I believe to be a justifiable course of action: asking their child to explore jobs or extracurriculars to increase his social interaction.
Jill (Wilmington, DE)
I think Rowan's comment about feeling like he has lost his purpose is slightly extreme. I feel that his parent's suggestion to get more involved in his life offline is a great idea. By getting a part time job, Rowan would learn many skills that selling things behind a screen does not teach you. Some of these skills and qualities include people skills, time management, determination and drive, as well as physically working to earn money. I believe that the same thing would apply if Rowan were to get involved in an extra curricular activity. Rowan spent almost all of his free time on social media and browsing the internet for content. If he were to participate in an after school activity, Rowan would make new friends and be able to experience things from a perspective other than from behind a screen. If I were a parent, I would be concerned with my child spending most of their day staring at a phone screen, browsing the internet. I completely understand Rowan's parents opposition to him selling things online. Not only is Rowan's "job" time consuming, but it also can lead to trouble. For example, if Rowan's customers found that he was buying stickers right on Amazon for a very cheap price and selling them for a lot more, some people may become very upset. I believe that the negatives outweigh the positives when it comes to Rowan's situation. I believe that Rowan should focus on something else for the time being and maybe revisit his account in the future.
Chloe (Wilmington, DE)
I think that Rowan was actually smart by making money off of memes, but it's most likely that they won't last forever. I think that Rowan should go for a more traditional job you get in college, and could then sell stuff online as a side job/for extra cash. Going for a job you get with college would allow Rowan to learn more about the real world, and could possibly help him with his meme page. I think his parents were smart with getting him more involved with the things around him instead of the things on his phone, just so he has a healthy balance between his phone and his actual life. Most teenagers are addicted to their phones, but not a lot that i've seen have had it disrupt their social lives. As the article said that Rowan goes straight home after school and spends hours on his phone, just seems completely unhealthy. Rowan should be a teenager because he's only a teenager once, and living his life on his phone is not everything. I think that Rowan's parents are opposed to him selling things online because he is interacting with complete strangers and they could possibly somehow get Rowan's personal information. Even though Rowan was pretty much a genius for making so much money off of jokes, he should keep it as a side job so he enjoys doing that but also enjoys school, family, and friends.
Alex Regas (Archmere Academy)
Adults would not consider Rowan a "businessman" as he does not have a physical brand or business. However, think that in our ever-changing society myself and other teenagers would consider him to be a businessman as he is making money off the things he is interested in and has an account that he gets his money from by getting companies to pay for ads he promotes through his Instagram. Rowan should be considered a businessman but is not the old school businessman who started his company or brand out of a garage or something small. Rowan is paving the way for the new era of businessmen and women alike.
Tyler (Atlanta)
I haven't experienced success close to the level of Rowan's but I feel that I have done well making money online. I have sold about 5 pairs of sneakers averaging around $365 for each pair. I sold them through different sites, but have promoted them through my Instagram. I wouldn't consider myself a business man but I would consider Rowan a business man. He sells ad space through his social media platform. That is almost the exact same thing that many websites are doing everyday. Rowan is older than me but still has accumulated the success that many people my age are trying to achieve. He has been an entrepreneur from a young age and has continued it on to achieve where he is. That is why a I would consider him a business man.
Chloe Scatton-Tessier (Hoggard High School in Wilmington, NC)
I think it's incredible that someone my age made ten thousand dollars from a meme page. Rowan Winch claims that he used his page for clout but I believe he profited from the wealth of his fame as he bought himself a Gucci wallet and planned to buy a Tesla. I have many social media platforms but don't have a popular a meme page, I have a second hand clothing page on Depop which allows me to recycle my old clothes and have money to purchase new clothes. Not only is it good for the environment but helps me spread entrepreneurship. It is important to watch out for online scams as there are sketchy websites who offer "free money". When I was younger, I was very close to typing personal information into a website because it promised "free animal jam memberships". Please don't enter any personal information into unprotected browsers and unknown websites. Lastly, I believe that people can replace "normal" jobs with online jobs such as influencers or YouTube characters. They make the same or more money as someone who went to college. Though I'm not telling you to ski[p college, it is important to know your options.
Sophie, Comet (Hanover Horton)
Out of all the social media accounts I have, I have never once tried to make money online. While being online, there are many people my age who are making money online. I have seen many people selling products like shampoo or asking people to join them and do the same thing as them which makes them money. I normally just ignore all of this when I see it because I would rather get a different job that doesn't involve selling things online.
Kaden Comet (HHHS)
Making money online has a lot of flaws and takes a lot of work to make sure you keep your money safe. It doesn’t work out for everyone so you have to be very careful how much time and money you put into your online work. There’s a small demand for content creators on the internet so it makes it hard to be able to monetize that for money.
Megan Comet (HHHS)
Have You Ever Tried To Make Money? Rowan shouldn’t be seen as a businessman. He has people pay him to give a shout out to them to receive more followers. In my opinion, if he made a different account and did the same thing would help him “regrow his fame.” Although he is only 15, he makes more money than some single parents for posting on social media to promote clothing brands and other people. I’m close in age to Rowan, and I sometimes have my mother sell things that I don’t want anymore online for me. I don’t think that I am making relationships with who buys my things. I simply want to sell to get rid of, not to become famous.
Izumi comet (HHHS)
I think it’s accurate to call him a “businessman”. Because, I think people who earn money by selling or other way is a businessman. So, like him, people who earn money by using advertising is also a businessman. However I do not think adults would see him as a businessman. Because his way is a new way. So I think it's hard for adults to accept his way as business.