2021 Person of the Year
Internet Person of the Year: Your delivery driver.
Your Uber driver. Your Walmart cashier. Your DoorDash delivery person. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, these were the essential workers whose jobs kept us going. In 2021, they pushed back with demands for fair minimum wages and better working conditions in a fight that played out on the For You Page. In viral videos from TikTok to Twitter, workers fought back against customers and corporations alike.
The internet’s labor movement grew from whispers to yells: Sex workers stopped OnlyFans from banning adult content. Amazon warehouse workers complained about dangerous conditions under dire circumstances. #OrigamiCamp began meaningful discourse about the nuances of consent and collaboration in sex work. McDonald’s managers were dragged in the comments. Wendy’s employees used bullhorns to shut down Karens. Redditors trolled Kellog with fake applications.
These and so many other stories linked together, forming a chain of workers who changed what it means to exist online. In 2021, your driver became a creator, holding us accountable, and they’re our Internet Person of the Year.
—Kris Seavers
