Creator Explains Why Social Media is Her 'Real Job' Amidst Autism & Platform Changes

A content creator, Sunnie Chérie, has shared her experiences navigating the challenges of traditional employment as an autistic individual, shedding light on why social media has become her primary source of income. In a video responding to a comment suggesting she "work a real job," Chérie explained, "I've worked a bunch of jobs all throughout like my entire life... and I always get fired within four days because I'm autistic and people don't vibe with me." She also noted her difficulty with authority figures. Chérie stated that she began engaging with social media at a young age, recognizing early on that traditional work environments might not suit her. She highlighted her success as a creator, claiming to achieve "20 to 30 million views a month" on Instagram, which she asserts is "easily enough to support my lifestyle and feed myself and keep myself afloat." The creator also voiced strong criticism against Instagram's recent changes to its creator monetization programs. She expressed frustration that the platform has allegedly suspended its Reels bonuses program, shifting focus to carousel posts. "Instagram should pay their creators and not randomly suspend their Reels bonuses program and switch it to carousel post program," she argued, emphasizing the disparity in engagement and earnings between video and photo content. Chérie concluded by asserting that platforms like Meta should be held accountable for these changes, rather than individual creators.