Camgirls: When It Call It Quits

Camming, clips, and phone sex are all businesses where the creators and performers (models) are contractors–self-employed workers. Being self-employed is not for everyone, and there is no shame in that. The current “fuck the 9 to 5, hustle 24/7” glamorization of self-employment and entrepreneurship is more a defensive societal reaction to the instability of the gig economy and financial struggles of “the millennials” than a roadmap to stability and success. Sex work is heavily stigmatized, and it can be stressful and isolating for models. If you’re struggling in the adult entertainment industry, it might be burnout, but it might also be time to move on. How can you tell the difference?

3 Signs You Should Quit Camming/Clips:

 

1) You can’t pay your bills

If you’re working full-time hours, you should be making full-time money. Everyone’s expenses are different, obviously, but the entire purpose of work is to pay your expenses. If you’re covering the difference between your income and your expenses with credit, a partner’s income or family support, or last-minute direct appeals to your customers, you’re not in a sustainable situation. Relying on customers to bail you out is dangerous, as customers cycle in and out, and depending on any one customer to help in an emergency will eventually fail. This industry does have ebbs and flows to income, and like any other self-employed situation, you need to have savings to cover yourself in the low months. If, after 6 months of full-time effort, you can’t pay your bills, you need to either cut your expenses or find other work. That sounds harsh, but your work needs to support you and your family in a sustainable, ongoing way.

 

2) You dread work

We all get bored and tired of work–it happens. You don’t have to absolutely love what you do every second of every day, but it shouldn’t make you completely miserable all the time. One way to check in with how you feel about work is how you feel about your customers. If you hate your customers, find their requests stupid and frustrating, and interacting with them–even when they’re paying–makes you angry, that’s bad news. I’m not talking about being annoyed with freeloaders–that goes with the territory. But if you dislike your paying customers, it’s time to step back and take a look at whether or not you like any part of this job.

 

3) You’re using alcohol or drugs every time you work

Lots of models drink or use drugs in videos and cam shows, regardless of site policies on substance use. I am not averse to a beer or 3 in service of a good time. If, however, you can’t log on to your cam site without drinking, smoking weed, or consuming other drugs, that’s a big problem. Not sure if your use is to cope with a bad work environment or as a fun recreational add-on to your shows? Cam sober for a week. If you can’t manage it, that’s a sign this work isn’t for you.

 

Should You Quit Online Sex Work?

Online sex work can be a form of survival sex work, where the model has no other way to provide for themselves without sex work. If you are not in an absolute survival situation, though, and you are struggling to make it in the online adult industry, it may be time to consider finding a new job and transitioning out of this business. Choosing to leave an industry and type of employment that doesn’t suit you isn’t a failure–it’s progress. There is a lot of talk about hard work leading directly to success, and thinking about quitting can make you feel like you just haven’t worked hard enough. That’s not true! Success is a mixture of luck and hard work, and without BOTH of those ingredients, you are set up to fail. Especially when it comes to self-employment, hard work often isn’t enough–and pushing yourself too hard can

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