‘You can’t pause the internet’: social media creators hit by burnout

Allison Chen: ‘Regardless of how many views you get, there is always a higher peak to achieve.’ Photograph: PR

The life of a social media creator can be high in glamour and status. The well-paid endorsement deals, the online followers and proximity to the celebrity establishment are all perks of the industry.

But one hidden cost will be familiar to anyone coping with the 21st-century economy: burnout. The Guardian has spoken to five creators with a combined audience of millions who have all experienced degrees of workplace stress or fatigue.