Between Campus and Gig Economy: Digital Freelancing and Transformation of Peer Relations Among University Students

Anshraj Singh

Between Campus and Gig Economy: Digital Freelancing and Transformation of Peer Relations Among University Students

Author(s)	Mr. Anshraj Singh
Country	India
Abstract	The expansion of digital labor has created new opportunities for university students to participate in income-generating activities alongside formal education. Digital freelancing provides students with financial independence, flexible work arrangements and professional experience, but its implications may extend beyond economic outcomes to the social organization of student life. This study examines changes in peer social relations associated with digital freelancing and explores the emergence of social distance between student freelancers and their non-earning peers. The study was conducted among 50 student freelancers at Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University, Kanpur, using a descriptive cross-sectional research design. Data were collected through a structured interview schedule and analyzed using frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations. Two dimensions were examined: peer social relations and social distance. The findings indicate substantial changes in students’ campus interactions, peer-group participation, friendships and closeness with non-earning classmates. A notable proportion of respondents also reported greater ease in relating to other earning students. Social distance was particularly associated with differences in work-oriented routines, time availability and responsibilities. While 94% of respondents perceived that non-earning students found it difficult to relate to their work-oriented routines, only 46% reported feeling socially separated specifically because of their earning status. This suggests that social distance is more closely associated with differentiated everyday experiences than with explicit perceptions of economic superiority. Drawing on Symbolic Interactionism and the concept of social distance, the study argues that digital freelancing contributes to the relational restructuring of student life by introducing new identities, routines and patterns of social affiliation.
Keywords	Digital freelancing; Gig economy; Student gig workers; Peer social relations; Social distance; University students; Digital labor
Field	Sociology
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 5, September-October 2026
Published On	2026-09-12

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Between Campus and Gig Economy: Digital Freelancing and Transformation of Peer Relations Among University Students

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