Luck and Children: a guide to fame in Iraq

Shafaq News / Haidar Sitaw, a 20-year-old resident of the Dhi Qar governorate (352 kilometers south of Baghdad), was able to achieve the fame he had long desired through social media, where the content he makes has grossed hundreds of millions of views. While a fellow content creator believes that luck plays a major role, Haidar says the competition among the active members of this community is a way to shine.

Recently, the phenomenon of content creators has become a trend in the Iraqi community. However, it has not been limited to a specific category due to the unlimited space that allows videos to garner millions of views, making its owner famous until another content creator outshines them.

Haidar Sitao told Shafaq News Agency that his fame has spread beyond Iraq's borders and that the majority of his followers are from the Gulf countries, because the clips he publishes are presented in the southern dialect and satirize the harsh reality that young people in those governorates face.

"Despite being illiterate, I have been able to master content creation in a way that ensures reaching millions of followers. So, I achieved my fame and started making profits by winning live streaming opportunities for the TikTok platform."

"During the broadcast, there is a competition or a challenge between two or three celebrities, and whoever receives more follows and likes wins a cash prize decided by the competition's sponsors, such as gold accessories, a luxurious watch, or a sum of money of at least $400 deposited in the content creator's account. Let alone the possibility of making advertising contracts for businesses, restaurants, products, or various supplies."

"Advertising and cash prizes from content industry supporters provide almost continuous financial returns for us as well-known content creators," he said, "the chances of spreading and profiting increases when the followers count grows beyond the one-million threshold."

"My least viewed video garnered three million views," Sitao added, "a content I shared on Twitter once grossed one billion views in a matter of days."

Some attribute the influx of unemployed young people on social media platforms, particularly TikTok and Instagram, to being an easy way to make money.

On the other hand, a novice content creator, Sarmad Laffa, stated that fame on social media platforms is based on luck and that "neither controls nor criteria determine whether or not they succeed."

"I've been publishing content to teach young people food etiquette for more than a year, and it appears that it does not appeal to followers."

"Children play a role in increasing the number of followers of content creators because most of them like videos randomly, or simply because they are impressed by the content creator's appearance, so the account becomes popular despite the poor quality of the content," Laffa added.

"Because of the large number of people in the content industry, many academics have lost the opportunity to share their ideas, despite their importance," he said.

Thousands of videos are posted on social media platforms every day. However, the first goal remains to attract the users' attention and gain their admiration to reap a financial profit that is a fortune for the unemployed.