The Illusion of Making Money on the Internet

February 2026 "How to make money on the internet." You've probably heard this phrase daily. It's the trend of our times, advertising on every social media platform. But "making money" isn't the problem, nor is using the internet to do it. Let me explain. Nowadays, there are thousands of ways to make money, whether through a formal job or by selling our services. The internet presents itself in two ways: as an opportunity to become our main income source, or as a tool to amplify gains from traditional work. The problem I've observed is a limited belief that a strong digital presence is necessary to achieve higher income. This belief has grown stronger in recent years, making the phrase that starts this text increasingly common. I fell into this trap. I thought I needed a digital product to achieve greater income. After hearing this argument repeatedly, I became a believer in this ideology. This changed moments before I started writing this reflection. I stopped to analyze cases of successful people with higher incomes, and then I realized that extreme online presence isn't the pattern, excellence and mastery in their field is. I'm not condemning or denying the benefits of digital marketing. I'm simply highlighting what truly drives a valuable career or business: a strong reputation built on well-developed skills. Doctors, lawyers, painters, carpenters, and other professionals built their reputations through excellent practice and real results long before they had social media profiles. An Instagram profile serves as a tool to leverage their services. Older generations seem to understand this. But I notice a different scenario in younger generations, including mine. Based on my observations, priorities have inverted: first comes a good social media profile, then technical mastery. This shift is reflected in the courses young people take. The main goal becomes understanding algorithms and increasing engagement, while skills training is left aside. Let me use an example from fiction. I can't imagine Harvey Specter or Sherlock Holmes depending on algorithms or marketing to succeed in today's society. Both would rely on their exceptional skills and authority to achieve success. In conclusion, I don't believe that young people at the beginning of their careers should focus on "being someone" on the internet before "being someone" in real life. I'll end with this thought: You don't need to be an influencer to be a successful professional.