The Side Hustle: An Oversaturated and Annoying Trend You’re Probably Doing Wrong

Why the side hustle has gotten out of hand and what we can do about it.

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The side hustle. It’s a key word that we hear quite often today. A preliminary Google search will bring up hundreds of hits; articles describing how to find new opportunities, testimonials from hustlers that made it big and paid off their debt, even suggestions for finding the best jobs based on your astrological sign (I’m not kidding). The side hustle has become the waving flag of the gig economy, a battle cry shouted from mountain tops and touted as the only way to break free from the 9 to 5. It’s also become an annoying trend, and in this article I’ll tell you why.

Tomayto, Tomahto

For the popularisation of the side hustle you can thank the millennials. One could almost say that it’s a natural byproduct of the 2000s, when plummeting job rates, a rising cost of living, and the changing of technology created the perfect environment for new business ideas. It’s no wonder that millennials, many of whom were entering the workforce for the first time, had to get creative. Thus, the gig economy was born.

But let’s call it like it is, the side hustle is a glorified second job. It’s an old concept with a shiny…