By James Kirkham

In Britain, it feels like we've somehow convinced a generation that exhaustion is the new entrepreneurship.

The 'TikTok economy' dresses it up so that working two jobs and editing brand videos at midnight is the norm, then we’re told to be grateful because at least it's “flexible”.

What used to be a celebrated side hustle culture has become something more stark, because the same feeds that preach empowerment and wellness now sell escape routes from a system that no longer works for so many.

This simple truth behind side hustles is that most people aren’t chasing dreams, they’re just trying to stay afloat in a country where post-Brexit wages stall and the cost of everything else rises.

We’ve turned survival into a social feed spectacle - but it's no longer about building a business empire from your bedroom, but scrabbling for money to pay for rent, bills and food.

Gen Z didn’t invent this grind, they certainly didn't ask for it........

© LBC