The Hashtag
#SideHustle celebrated working multiple jobs simultaneously—framed as entrepreneurial ambition but revealing that one job no longer paid enough to live.
Origins
“Side hustle” replaced “second job” around 2014-2016, rebranding economic necessity as lifestyle choice. Gary Vaynerchuk, YouTubers, and LinkedIn gurus sold it as path to wealth: drive Uber, sell on Etsy, dropship from China, flip sneakers, start a podcast.
By 2019, 45% of Americans had a side hustle. The pandemic pushed it higher as people lost jobs or sought supplemental income.
Cultural Impact
Popular side hustles:
- Rideshare (Uber, Lyft)
- Food delivery (DoorDash, Instacart)
- Freelancing (Upwork, Fiverr)
- Dropshipping/e-commerce
- Content creation (YouTube, TikTok)
- Reselling (eBay, Poshmark, sneakers)
- Rental income (Airbnb, Turo)
- Online courses and coaching
- MLM/network marketing (disguised as side hustle)
The glamorization:
- “Rise and grind” mentality
- Sleep is for the weak
- Monetize your hobbies
- Passive income myths
- 5 AM wake-ups
- “CEO of Me, Inc.”
- Building empire while working 9-to-5
The reality:
- Most side hustles earned <$500/month
- 40+ hour main job + 20 hour side hustle = exhaustion
- Hobbies monetized became joyless work
- Tax complications
- No benefits or protections
- Burnout epidemic
- Wage stagnation masked by hustle
The criticism:
- Side hustles as symptom of failing economy
- One job should be enough
- Rebranding exploitation as empowerment
- Hustle culture toxicity
- Grinding yourself to death for pennies
- Late-stage capitalism requiring multiple jobs to survive
By 2021, “side hustle” faced backlash. “Quiet quitting” and “anti-work” movements rejected hustle culture. But economic reality kept people hustling—just less proud of it.
The hashtag represented a society where working one full-time job no longer guaranteed stability, dressed up as entrepreneurial spirit.