The media revolution is underway and we are caught up in it.

It’s time to rethink our approach to jobs. As Zara pointed out below, the “millennial” generation (and the rest of the world) is struggling to figure out how to survive and fit in to the modern economy. Job stability is hard to find, especially within rapidly changing professions, including, but not exclusive to journalism.

A steady gig at the Washington Post, or at the print Seattle Post-Intelligencer? Forget about it. But for the stubborn there is always the freelance option – and freelancing is not just for journalists. Some say that restructuring our approach to freelance jobs is essential to the future of the American economy.

If Sara Horowitz is right, and she’s written about this before, the changing nature of our economy means many workers in the future will be working flexible schedules. Our current social safety net has no provisions for independent workers, already 42 million strong in the workforce.

That number is shocking, and provisions to protect independent workers are needed. But is the transition to a freelance economy a bad thing?

Maybe we don’t need to punch in at 9 and punch out at 5 anymore. After all, doesn’t the quality of work matter more than the hours put in? Flexible scheduling can improve worker satisfaction, which in turn improves productivity. Unhappy workers do a poor job, while happy ones are often more productive and better able to come up with new ideas.

Perhaps an organized freelance economy is in the future for us, health benefits and all. Maybe we would all be happier, more productive employees if so.

On the other hand, it could come down to this (or to SEO headline generator):

(video by No Media Kings)

Revised Headline: Freelance Jobs And The Economic Future