Does millennial publication The Odyssey take advantage of student labor?

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Before I start this article off, let it be known that this is not an attempt to discredit or allege any illegal activity (as I am not a lawyer), it is purely opinion and applied research and statistics derived from sources other than The Odyssey. I truly believe that anything that can motivate students to express themselves and contribute to the global discussion is, in and of itself, a good thing. This article explores the nuances of American labor laws, so if you are currently exploring internship and volunteer opportunities, keep reading.

What is The Odyssey?
The Odyssey has most recently established a chapter of contributors at Fort Hays State University campus in Hays, Kansas where I currently attend school. I was enlisted in the team and quickly learned how they operate.

They claim to be “a social discovery platform committed to asia mobile number list democratizing content creation while personalizing discovery,” according to their website. Launched in 2014, the publication distributes more than 50,000 pieces of content per month from over 14,000 contributors. The company taps into the cognitive surplus of millennials and college students across America, creating local communities that work together and publish weekly articles. Most importantly, I think they draw upon something very powerful in their marketing. Millennials deeply desire validation. We are so often told that our generation is useless, and that we waste time on smartphones, social media and Pokemon Go. The fact of the matter is, many of us are highly motivated, have bright ideas and possess skills that many of our predecessors falter with, primarily basic understandings of the internet and a predisposed advantage for quickly learning these new technologies. By valuing our voices, The Odyssey has tapped into something bigger than all of us.

One oft overlooked point of contention is how The Odyssey compensates contributors. The organization offers something almost akin to a rewards system, where users are compensated based on their monthly viewership that they achieve for the website. For example, 15,000 to 49,999 monthly views are rewarded in $15 that is deposited into your PayPal account, and users are rewarded on a sliding scale that goes up from there. Yes, I know, it isn’t about the money for most contributors – they simply want to express themselves and put their ideas out there.