The rise of the alternate world: when dreams replace degrees and passion becomes profession - GetBengal Story

The generation that once ran after traditional careers has now come to a halt. They’ve started asking themselves — why am I running, why am I chasing a mirage? Wouldn’t it be better to live like an Arab Bedouin, spending a lifetime in peace? Maybe I could be a simple railway gatekeeper, waiting all day for one train while gazing at a yellow bird in the distance. Or I could work as a boatman, drifting across the river on a sailboat. I could open a small homestay in the hills and spend the rest of my life in the silence of the mountains. Instead of enduring the scolding of a superior, I could open a cozy little cafe in the heart of the city — a place filled with music, conversations, and soft moments. Maybe I’ll become a clerk in some government office, moving a few files here and there all day long, sneaking in a few breaks every now and then. Or perhaps, I’ll work as a librarian at the National Library, spending my days reading rare and priceless books. What a life that would be! I could edit manuscripts for a publishing house, reading wonderful works every day. And if none of this works out — I’ll just travel the world, discovering the unknown.

These are the dreams that accompany every middle-class life. But the obstacle is always money — the very thing we run after ends up stopping our run. Because to fulfill dreams, we need money — and without it, nothing seems possible. (Alternative Professions)

We are now walking hand in hand with an alternate world, one that holds a magic wand. With just a click on social media, unemployment can vanish — anyone can instantly become a content creator. Alongside jobs and businesses, content creation has opened up new paths for extra income. What we create doesn’t matter — what matters is that we are creating, and earning from it. No special skills are needed. By rearranging elements of our everyday lives, we are easily making money. We no longer keep our personal lives private; we lay them bare before the world — and in return, we earn. With it comes greed, temptation, and a fading attachment to traditional jobs. If a boss scolds me, I’ll just quit — I’ll earn through content creation.

Another group of people now plans to retire not at sixty, but at forty. So before retiring, they are earning through both jobs and content creation — dreaming of escaping to the hills afterward. But ironically, this is strengthening the traditional job structure while reducing the overall rate of earning. (Alternative Professions)

Freelancing is no longer just a side income; for many, it’s the main profession. Writing, translation, video editing, web design, food blogging, travel blogging, coding — any skill can now be used to earn online. In India, around 1.5 crore people are part of the gig economy — a system where instead of permanent jobs, people work on contracts, short-term projects, or one-time tasks. Along with international platforms like Upwork and Fiverr, many Indian platforms have also emerged. This has increased opportunities for additional income beyond traditional jobs. Delivery-based jobs have also grown — young people now drive for Rapido, Ola, Uber, or work in delivery services after hours or on weekends, trying to earn a little extra. (Alternative Professions)

Another powerful earning source in the digital age is affiliate marketing. Bloggers, YouTubers, or Facebook page owners share product links — and if a sale happens through those links, they earn a commission. Thus, income is possible without owning any inventory. India’s affiliate marketing industry has already touched ₹4,000 crore. Success here depends on trust and the ability to retain an audience. Similarly, dropshipping allows people to run an online store without keeping stock — the supplier ships directly to the customer, reducing costs. According to recent studies, India’s e-commerce market will cross $200 billion by 2025.

Meanwhile, homestays and small cafés in hill towns and city corners are gaining popularity. With minimal investment, people are renovating parts of their homes to rent out to tourists through platforms like Airbnb. Rural tourism in India is growing by 15% every year, and cafés are becoming not just food spaces but hubs for music, events, and socializing — turning them into thriving businesses. (Alternative Professions)

Education and skills have now become easy tools for earning. From selling your own courses online to taking live classes — it’s common today. India’s online education market is now worth around ₹30,000 crore, and it’s expected to double in the next few years. Demand is especially rising for language learning, coding, and professional skills.

Brands now prefer influencer marketing — investing heavily in social media creators. Not just celebrities but even micro-influencers (with 10K–50K followers) are earning large sums. India’s influencer market is projected to reach ₹2,200 crore by 2026.

Reels are another booming space. People earn by making topic-based or lifestyle-based short videos. Many companies now collaborate with them for ads. Similarly, podcasts are one of the hottest digital platforms — and themes like tantra, ghosts, and astrology have become audience favorites. People speak whatever they want, and it works — because we love fear.
The surge in tantra and astrology in the digital era was predicted long ago, but the direction it’s taking is not entirely healthy. Anyone can now sit behind a mic and claim to know the unknown. Alongside their regular jobs, many are shooting podcasts — earning from both sides. And beyond that, there’s a booming business hidden behind services like amulets, pendants, black magic removal, and fortune-telling. Each “Insta-Tantrik” today can earn lakhs per month.

The clickbait news market has also become massive. Fake or exaggerated headlines attract readers — and ads bring in money. In 2023, around 40% of Indian internet users fell for misleading content at least once. From cricket betting to online casinos, everything’s now just a click away. Many youths are diving in — for quick profit, but often facing heavy losses too. This is an age of risk — and not taking risks feels like the biggest risk of all. Online gambling and gaming ads lure the youth with easy money — requiring no degree, no special skill. And so, we keep slipping into this “other” world.

From the dawn of civilization, sexuality has been both taboo and business. Even if society frowns upon it, millions depend on the industry built around it. Whether right or wrong is not the point — for ideals differ from person to person. In this changing age, sexuality has become a digital commodity.

Recently, a Kolkata couple went viral for live-streaming their intimacy. They revealed that both of them worked in an IT firm, and they saw nothing wrong with monetizing their personal moments on adult sites — earning nearly a lakh per month, legally and with tax deductions. Platforms like JoinMyApp, Patreon, and OnlyFans allow people to upload revealing photos or videos — available to subscribers for a fee. It’s simple and lucrative.

A Kolkata homemaker admitted that she earns nearly ₹2 lakhs per month this way. When people are fighting for ₹15,000-a-month jobs, such temptations naturally pull us toward another world. Purity doesn’t really exist — since the beginning of time, an alternate world has always walked beside the traditional one, offering temptation and opportunity. And it always will.

Traditional education has always tried to teach us values, what’s right and wrong, and how to live with integrity. Yet, many have walked paths that defy social norms — sometimes by choice, sometimes by necessity. It’s not just the new generation; people of all ages, from eight to eighty, have found refuge in these alternate professions. Those who once gave moral advice have broken their own rules — arguing that if one doesn’t evolve with time, expression itself dies. The line between honesty and dishonesty has blurred.

Now, survival has become the only truth. The leaves have fallen. The ball pitched at leg stump has flown over the boundary. India continues to slip lower in the Global Hunger Index, yet elections are won on the politics of religion and temples. Traditional education and the job market are neglected. So we’ve picked up cameras and tripods — turning social crises and our private lives into vlogs. We’ve stepped into the neon blue haze. We’ve dismissed traditional education as useless, and even after years of study, made meaningless Reels.

Everything in this world is connected to everything else — nothing happens in isolation. Even you reading this piece right now is a connection — a link that perhaps helps you understand what alternate professions are, or maybe it doesn’t. Maybe that’s why halfway through, you’ve switched to another article or a colorful advertisement — one that promises ₹2,000 just for playing a game.

So, what will you do?

Will you take the leap — into the alternate world?
We are all spinning in the circle of illusion — Maya.

Note: 
Translated by Krishnendu Mitra

To read the original Bengali article, click here.