The message of the young religious woman who makes video chats has gone viral: “Why bother with 3,000 lei, if God has allowed me to make money?”

The message of a young woman from Romania about video chat, in which she claims that she does not want to struggle working for a salary of 3,000 lei when she can earn more money, and the divinity is on her side, has caused a wave of reactions on social networks.

The video chat industry has become increasingly popular in the digital age. Illustrative photo. Freepik.com

A clip published by a young woman who practices video chat, in which she explains the reasons why she chose this job, caused numerous reactions on social media platforms. She says that life is short and she prefers to live to the fullest, instead of struggling with a salary of 3,000 lei from which she can no longer afford anything.

“To want a blouse, or to want a vacation, or to want a house and, I don't know, we're not talking about houses and cars, that's already next level. To take any thing and look to see how much money you have left until the next salary, that's not happiness, it's torture. And why should I struggle in this life that God has left me so short, to make 3,000 lei a month, shouldn't I be happy to see how it is to have money? Yes, brother, if God has allowed me to make money in this world, and this field is also made for us to make money, why should I be ashamed of what I do when I make money? It is a lot of money that a man, in real life, would dream of.”was the young woman's message.

A follower of her channel pointed out to her that it was crazy to put God in the same phrase as “video chat”, but the young woman contradicted him.

“But know that it's not insane (crazy), I'm really glad that I know English. And God is with us every day and God helps us to follow the path we want. If I wasn't loved by God or God didn't help me, I wouldn't make money now. But know that it's not only luck, it's also work. And it's better to do what I like, to be happy, than to do what I don't like and be sad. Right? I say that it is correct“, she concluded.

The young woman's message, mocked by the Romanians

The young woman's message caused numerous ironic and even accusatory reactions on social media platforms, but some Romanians were right. “Philosophical-economic-theological analysis of life, POV (point of view) videochatist”, one Reddit user described it.

A Romanian claims that such a job does not bring a good life, because respectable people will avoid it.

“No friends, no serious relationships. Money yes, but that's it. Halal life where you have to hide who you are and which comes down to only having money for bills. A quality life is one rich in quality relationships. Money for bills can be made in a thousand other healthier ways. It's not in any way a choice between this or being poor. You can also keep your dignity and not starve.” supports it.

Another adds that the young woman's message captures the essence of religious but superficial people.

“She does video chat and feels God's guidance. And she is honest, just like a moneylender crosses herself and feels God when she threatens someone's family. She really feels Christian. She also donates money to the church.” he states.

A Romanian woman claims that she worked in video chat and had the same arguments, but in reality many young women hide the abuses they were subjected to.

“I have years of therapy behind me to come to accept that piece of my life as necessary in the situation I was in at the time, but however you give it, no matter how much money you make, you're still perpetuating some kind of abuse.” supports this.

Most women end up working in this industry out of necessity, believes another Romanian, but some internet users are of the opinion that people who accept other jobs do so for the same reasons.

“Just like the rest of the abused in society, these women always have the option of choosing a lower-paid, but decent job. The fact that they choose video chat is not because of abuse, it's because it's an easy job that produces a lot of money,” claims a Romanian.

Another asks the young woman not to mix divinity with her job.

“I don't understand how people go from 'I like it' to 'God approves because it gives me pleasure'. Pleasure is subjective, independent of morality; you may like to consume harmful things or see a poor man happy because you gave him something to eat. According to the Bible, pride is a sin. Video chat comes in here, especially with this mentality of: “I am above working for X amount when I can do what I like it and God agrees because I like it”. I imagine that it is not easy to expose yourself in this way online without creating some justifications, but I hope that the majority of the world has enough moral sense to keep their families away from such a thing”. says another netizen.

A Romanian offered a plastic comparison to the message sent by the young woman.

“Don't hurt anyone, pay taxes, life goes on. Like drug dealers, who do a much worse thing, pay no taxes, destroy lives, are happy when they make money. 'Do what makes you happy!', signed – Hitler, Pol Pot, Mao Zedong.” he joked.

Many young women in Romania earn their living from video chat activity, and there are many reasons, says a Romanian.

“They are women who are attractive enough to have an audience, very low level of education, which leads to not knowing the long-term consequences or inventing some justifications. In addition, we are a people quite lacking in solid moral values, we have to have a bigger house and a more expensive car than the neighbor. There are much poorer peoples where women do not first think of video chat as an option.” add this one.

AI, expected to revolutionize the video chat industry

Another Romanian believes that, in addition to the money attracted to Romania, the young women who practice this activity also support other branches of the economy: cosmetic surgery, underwear, modeling, fashion, design, make-up salons, hairdressing, manicure, waxing, tanning. I also support jobs and companies through this.

“Everywhere in the world there is poverty, but I have not seen such desperation for money, houses and cars as in Romania. It also depends on mentality and self-respect. It is a mentality inherited from communism, transmitted by grandparents and parents. The trauma of poverty can be seen today in the desire to show that “I am no longer poor”, ironically ending up becoming even poorer through expenses made just to impress people who don't care”. someone else thinks.

Another internet user is of the opinion that, in the long run, the video chat industry brings more services to its employees.

“What you lose is not immediately obvious. Addiction to easy money with the body, which will not stay the same; distortion of intimacy; daily sexual satisfaction without a partner, all lead, in the long term, to the risk of missing out on a stable and happy relationship and losing a stable source of income in adulthood.” he states.

It's only on the screen, no one touches you, you work from home and live well, says another.

“What's the point of getting burned out on low pay at a company where you're treated worse than any human who just looks at you on video chat?”is someone else's opinion.

Artificial Intelligence could completely change the industry, some Romanians think.

“Take advantage as much as you can, that AI is also coming to video chat”, predicts another netizen.

Romania, a quarter of a century of video chat

In Romania, the video chat industry has turned 25 years old. Around 2000, young women's video chat job ads were starting to become a staple in the classifieds section of newspapers. They wanted young women, especially students, from Bucharest and the province, who had to be attractive and have knowledge of the English language. The promised wages were between $300 and $1,000.

“A new profession has appeared on the labor market in Romania: video chat operators. In other words, young women who used to work in night bars or those who handled erotic telephone lines now have the opportunity to perform striptease live on the Internet”, informa in 2001 the Word of Freedom.

Although the offer seemed tempting, many of the companies that proposed high incomes and work contracts were nothing more than very well-furnished apartments, especially in the Capital, where young women performed erotic shows, virtually satisfying the wishes of clients, the media of the time reported.

“After erotic massage parlors, which in many cases disguise real brothels, it's the turn of these online video chats to recruit girls who are desperate to find a job and willing to give up their modesty in the hope of considerable earnings”the publication noted.

By the mid-2000s, video chat had become an increasingly popular activity, with “studios” promoting it in many cities. Recruitment notices were posted on poles in the vicinity of universities.

“You want money? We'll give it to you. Why video chat? Because it's one of the most profitable jobs for young girls these days, a legal and clean job where you can use your imagination, intelligence and beauty,” iinforms one such street advertisement from 2006, addressed to young women aged at least 18 years.

From studios and companies to independent content creators

Some employers promised monthly income between 1,000 and 5,000 dollars, and others were more modest, advancing amounts between 1,000 and 2,000 euros.

Since the end of the 2000s, with the development of social networks, fast internet and high-performance video cameras, the video chat industry has been developing more and more in Romania. In the following years, international streaming platforms gradually reduced the dependence of young women on local studios, which offered them support and filming conditions. And in recent years, more and more young women have started working from their homes, independently and according to their own schedule, giving up intermediaries and using global platforms like OnlyFans or Fansly.

In recent years, Romania has become one of the countries with a thriving video chat industry. Lucian Heiuș, the former head of ANAF, stated in 2023 that there were 5,000 companies with this activity and 400,000 people working in video chat. However, some specialists indicated that the figure referred to the accounts, and in reality, the number of Romanians who obtained income from such online services was approximately 200,000.

The amounts obtained mostly come from payments made by foreign citizens, thus, according to specialists, along with IT, the video chat industry manages to contribute significantly to the national budget through funds attracted from other countries.