Book SummaryGet Rich or Lie Trying, by Symeon Brown

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Get Rich or Lie Trying

Exploiting Attention, Relationships, and Self-Concept for Profit

In "Get Wealthy or Fabricate It," Symeon Brown exposes the dark side of influencer culture and explains how social networks have become a haven for exploitation. The author argues that through deliberate design, these platforms incentivize attention-seeking behaviors, warping human interactions and turning the most intimate elements of people's lives into content for ad revenue.

Social Media Encourages Attention-Seeking Behaviors to Earn Advertising Income

This section delves into how platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and X achieve their financial success by promoting various forms of user engagement, even when the content may be harmful. The platforms profit from users staying glued to their feeds, despite the potential for promoting toxicity and conflict. Influencers then capitalize on this structure by prioritizing virality and dramatic narratives over authenticity.

Platforms Profit By Promoting User Engagement, Even if the Material Is Harmful

Brown emphasizes how social networks are architected to generate and retain our attention. They monitor what keeps us glued to their sites, how long we engage with content, and which content makers we spend the most time consuming content from. Every like, share, retweet, comment, and DM is information. They then use this data to personalize advertisements and offer companies the opportunity to reach our eyeballs. This design fosters an environment that rewards conflict and outrage even if it compromises the well-being of creators.

The author cites the network CX and its notorious ringleader, 'Ice Poseidon' (Paul Denino), as a prime example of this phenomenon. Denino amassed a devoted following—the 'Purple Army'—by broadcasting extreme stunts and encouraging his audience to participate in swatting incidents, where people call the police and make false claims to instigate an armed response. His fans gave him bigger tips the more controversial, toxic, and dangerous his content became. Ebenezer, a struggling musician who was featured on Ice Poseidon's livestreams, was frequently targeted by the Purple Army for racist abuse. Yet, Ebenezer—despite finding it demeaning—tolerated being insulted for the money he received from donations. He joked that he’d be more likely to return cash for an insult than a compliment.

Practical Tips

• Establish a 'social media swap' with friends where you exchange recommendations for books, outdoor activities, or local events instead of online content. This encourages you to engage in more meaningful offline interactions and reduces the time spent on social networks. By swapping recommendations for activities that can enrich your life, you create a support system that values personal interaction and experiences over digital engagement.
• Create a secondary email account for signing up for newsletters and online services. This can help you manage the amount of targeted advertising you receive based on engagement metrics linked to your primary email. Use this secondary account when you want to explore new websites or services without affecting the ad personalization on your main account.
• Experiment with ad-blocking tools and privacy-focused browsers to see how your online experience changes when user engagement data is less accessible to advertisers. Take note of any differences in the content you're exposed to and the frequency of ads. This can give you a clearer picture of how much user engagement data affects the advertising you see and may lead to a more intentional and less cluttered online experience.
• You can curate your social media feeds to promote positivity by unfollowing or muting accounts that consistently share inflammatory content. By doing this, you reduce the visibility of conflict-driven posts in your personal feed, which can help create a more constructive online environment for yourself and potentially influence the algorithms to favor less divisive content.
• Develop a personal code of ethics for content consumption by reflecting on how controversial content affects your emotions and beliefs. Write down the types of content you find acceptable and those you don't, and use this as a guide when choosing what to watch or follow. This practice encourages mindful consumption and helps you curate your media intake to align with your values.
• Leverage A/B testing on a smaller scale by posting two versions of similar content with varying degrees of controversy. For example, if you're a blogger, write two versions of an article: one that's straightforward and another that takes a bolder stance on the issue. Share them on different days and times, then compare the engagement metrics and any monetary support received. This method allows you to test the waters without fully committing to a controversial content strategy.
• Start a blog or social media campaign highlighting stories of resilience among artists in the face of adversity. Use hashtags to gain traction and encourage others to share their experiences, creating a community that fosters understanding and combats racism in the music industry.
• Reflect on your tolerance thresholds by journaling about situations where you endure discomfort for gain. Write down instances where you've tolerated negative circumstances and list the benefits you believed you were receiving. This will help you see patterns in your behavior and decide if the trade-offs are worth it.
• Start a "reverse swear jar" where instead of putting money in for swearing, you put money in for every insult you say or think. At the end of the month, donate the collected money to a charity, turning negative impulses into positive actions.

Influencers Prioritize Virality Over Authenticity For Advertisers

Brown reveals how the influencer world, due to its reliance on sponsorships and advertising income, incentivizes creators to prioritize going viral at all costs—even when...

Get Rich or Lie Trying Summary Monetizing Bodies, Sexuality, and Social Movements via Digital Platforms

The author then explores how online platforms have created new industries around selling bodies and sexuality. These new avenues empower a new generation of sex workers, while simultaneously incentivizing brands to co-opt genuine social activism into their marketing strategies.

Influencer Economy Prompts New Generation of Workers Using Social Media to Sell Body and Sexuality Access

This section examines the booming online sex work industry and how websites such as OnlyFans have enabled influencers to monetize intimacy by leveraging the attention economy. Many hopeful performers see these outlets as lucrative side hustles or possibly as pathways to a higher-paying influencer career. However, Brown argues that although these platforms offer high income and autonomy, they often jeopardize long-term health and wellbeing.

Websites Like OnlyFans Monetize Intimacy, Often to the Detriment of Long-Term Wellbeing

Brown shows how the seemingly easy access to digital sex work can attract vulnerable women who are then pressured to constantly produce new and increasingly explicit content to maintain their followers and keep income flowing. Sites like OnlyFans profit from their...

Get Rich or Lie Trying Summary Proliferation of Fraudulent "Get-rich-Quick" Schemes and Financial Scams

Brown concludes by examining how the appeal of instant financial success—regularly preached by internet gurus and influencers on social media—has led to a proliferation of fraudulent "get-rich-quick" schemes and outright scams that target vulnerable populations with limited economic opportunities.

How Offers of Instant Success and Wealth Lead to Pyramid Schemes and Dubious "Opportunities" Targeting Vulnerable Populations

In this section, Brown argues that the appeal of quick and easy wealth has created a booming industry of predatory schemes and pyramid scams that exploit the desire for financial freedom. The author argues that digital spaces have become havens for these enterprises, serving as portals through which they can reach and target vulnerable and anxious populations seeking alternatives.

Digital Platforms Lure Entrepreneurs With False Assurances of Profit and Freedom

Here, Symeon Brown explains how the language of start-ups, VCs, and influencer experts is constructed around narratives of liberation and freedom. The web is marketed as a fresh and accessible frontier where everybody can become wealthy if they hustle hard enough. However, the author argues...