The Rising Trend of Youth in the Gig Economy: A Crossroad of Choices and Consequences

In recent years, platforms like Foodpanda, Uber Eats, Keeta and similar delivery services have surged in popularity, offering flexible earning opportunities. These platforms have become a tempting alternative to attending school for many young people, especially teenagers in Form 2 or 3. However, this shift raises critical questions about priorities, awareness, and long-term implications. Are young people making informed choices? Are families fully considering the risks? And what happens if this seemingly convenient path suddenly vanishes?

Is Skipping School for the Gig Economy a Wise Trade-Off?

The allure of instant income is undeniable. For teens, earning money early can feel empowering—a chance to contribute to household expenses, buy personal items, or even gain independence. But does this short-term gain justify sacrificing education? School isn’t just about academic knowledge; it’s a space for developing critical thinking, social skills, and emotional resilience. When young people exit formal education prematurely, what gaps might emerge in their ability to navigate complex challenges later in life?

Are Parents Aware of the Hidden Risks?

Parents often support their children’s decisions with the best intentions, valuing financial responsibility and work ethic. But are families thoroughly weighing the dangers? Gig work exposes youth to physical risks—road accidents, exhaustion, or unsafe environments. Emotionally, the pressure of irregular income and customer demands can strain mental health. Worse, without formal contracts or benefits, these jobs offer little security. Are parents considering how a lack of education might limit their child’s future opportunities?

What Happens to Emotional and Physical Growth?

Adolescence is a pivotal phase for holistic development. Schools provide structure, peer interactions, and mentorship—elements crucial for emotional maturity. While teaching responsibility, Gig work often isolates young workers in a transactional environment. Physically, long hours on the road can lead to chronic stress or injuries. Does substituting classroom learning with gig labour risk stunting their growth into well-rounded adults?

If Platforms Shut Down, What’s Next?

The gig economy is volatile. Companies can downsize, change policies, or close overnight. Imagine a 16-year-old who dropped out of Form 2 to deliver food suddenly facing unemployment. Without education credentials or specialised skills, how would they compete in a job market increasingly demanding qualifications? Re-entering school later may feel impossible, trapping them in low-wage cycles. Is this a risk worth taking?

The Bigger Picture: What Future Are We Building?

Education is an investment in adaptability. While gig work offers immediate rewards, it rarely provides pathways for advancement. A teenager today might earn a steady income, but what happens in a decade when automation or market shifts disrupt these roles? Without foundational knowledge or certifications, career pivots become daunting. Are we raising a generation prepared for uncertainty or one vulnerable to it?

A Call for Reflection, Not Judgment

This isn’t about blaming youths or parents. Financial pressures, societal norms, and the gig economy’s appeal are real. But it’s vital to ask: Are we prioritising today’s convenience over tomorrow’s stability? Can families explore alternatives—part-time work after school, vocational training, or scholarships—that balance earning and learning?

The choices made today will shape the opportunities of tomorrow. For youths tempted by quick cash and parents navigating tough decisions, the question isn’t just about what works now—it’s about what sustains forever.

Let’s reflect: What kind of future are we enabling? And is there a way to safeguard both the present and the years ahead?

Lastly, I would like to thank my dear friend Muhammad Yasir Iqbal for bringing this matter to my attention.

Ahmed Ashfaq

Opportunities do not guarantee outcomes, but they change what you believe is possible. I wrote this piece as a reflection on exposure, mentorship programmes, and the realities of entering the profession without a conventional path.

I did not come into this profession through the front door. I came through a side entrance I found myself, because no one thought to hand me a key. I applied for every internship, vacation scheme, and placement that crossed my path. The answer, when it came at all, was no. I entered the profession regardless, not with fanfare, but with a decision.

That experience has shaped how I now view the programmes designed to help young people enter the legal profession. They are not perfect. Nothing built by human hands ever is. But hidden within their imperfection is a truth we overlook at our peril: exposure, even when it does not announce itself in bold terms, can shift the entire trajectory of a life.

The Nature of Exposure

What is exposure? It is not a job offer. Not an internship. Not even a promise.

It is the chance to stand in a room you never knew existed, to watch how people speak, how they carry themselves, how the machinery of a profession actually turns. The moment a young person walks into a commercial firm for the first time, sits thirty floors up, and hears a partner explain a cross-border merger, they may understand only half of it. But they see something else: that this world exists, and that it is peopled by individuals no different in essence from themselves.

That moment lodges in the mind like a seed. It may lie dormant for a year or two. But when the time comes to write an application, attend an interview, or make a decision, the seed has already taken root. The young person is no longer guessing. They have seen. And having seen, they can begin to imagine themselves inside the picture.

This is the quiet work that fellowship programmes do. They do not hand out careers. They offer glimpses. And for those who have never been allowed one, that glimpse is the first line of a new story.

The Platform and the Mindset

There is a truth often misunderstood: opportunity provides a stage, not a script. A programme can open a door, but it cannot walk through it for you. I have seen this repeatedly. Two individuals attend the same visits, meet the same professionals, and sit in the same rooms. One listens with intent, takes notes, follows up, not to impress, but to understand. That small act leads to a conversation, which months later leads to an opportunity. The other attends but treats the experience as an item to be recorded. No follow-up. No curiosity. The opportunity was identical. The outcome was not.

The difference is never the programme. It is the mindset brought to it. The platform is neutral. It offers the space. What is built upon it belongs entirely to the individual. Exposure does not redraw your circumstances overnight. It redraws what you believe is possible, and from that shift, everything else begins to move.

On Visibility and the Modern Game

It is often said that platforms like LinkedIn are filled with noise, repetition, visibility, and small achievements amplified beyond their weight. There is some truth in that. But there is also a failure of perspective.

An achievement is an achievement, no matter how small it appears. What seems insignificant from the outside may represent something profound to the individual, a first exposure, a first recognition, a first step into a space they were never part of before. For those without networks, without connections, without inherited access, visibility is not vanity. It is a tool.

And in practical terms, someone is always watching. A trainee. An associate. A partner with five minutes to scroll. A single post can lead to a message, a conversation, a piece of guidance, and from that, an opportunity.

You can call it noise. Or you can recognise it as a fast-moving system of connection and choose to engage with it. The same logic applies to fellowship programmes. It is sometimes observed that the same individuals appear across multiple firm visits, reflected in similar photographs. At a glance, this seems repetitive. But it is not repetition for its own sake. It is continuity. It is how exposure compounds.

Confidence is not built in a single room. It is built by walking into the third, fourth, and fifth rooms and no longer feeling like an outsider. Repetition is not redundancy. It is the architecture of familiarity, and familiarity is the foundation of confidence.

The Seed and the Forest

A question is often raised: why do we not yet see greater diversity in the rooms we enter? It is a fair and necessary question. But we must distinguish between representation and access. Representation is what we see. Access is what determines who will be seen in the future. Fellowship programmes do not immediately change representation. What they do is expand access. They place individuals into spaces they may never otherwise have entered. They create the conditions for change, not instantly, but gradually.

A single moment of recognition, seeing someone who shares your background, your journey, or your starting point, can alter a person’s sense of belonging. That moment plants a seed. Years later, that individual may be the one sitting on the panel. And someone else will look up and see them. That is how change happens. Not in declarations, but in cycles. Not in a single season, but over time.

The Ripple of Imperfection

No programme is complete. Every initiative has its gaps. But those gaps are not endpoints; they are starting points for improvement. I have seen participants return years later to contribute what was missing when they themselves were involved. A programme that once offered only exposure evolves to include practical workshops, mentorship structures, or skills training, not because it was designed perfectly from the start, but because individuals chose to improve it.

If each person who passes through such a programme strengthens one aspect of it, the cumulative effect is significant. Change does not always come from large-scale reform. It often comes from individuals who remember what was missing and choose to provide it.

The Door and the Choice

We live in a world that is quick to dismiss what is imperfect. Fellowship programmes are not perfect. They do not guarantee results. They do not solve structural issues overnight. But they do something far more immediate: they open a door. For someone who has never seen that door open, even slightly, that moment matters. Opportunity is not a promise. It is a platform. It gives you somewhere to stand. What you build from there is your responsibility.

You can stand outside and critique the system, and you may be entirely right. Or you can step inside, understand it, and begin to shape your place within it.

The door is not always wide. But sometimes, it is open just enough.

That is the moment.

The platform is there.

The rest is yours!

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Introduction

As legal frameworks struggle to keep pace with rapid technological advancements and fluctuating geopolitical realities, cross-border professional collaboration has shifted from a luxury to an absolute necessity.

Looking back at a high-velocity sequence of international engagements across the Asia-Pacific region, the core lesson is clear: the future of commercial law lies in deep jurisdictional integration.

From data privacy panels to advanced international arbitration simulations, navigating these diverse frameworks directly informs our approach back home. For practitioners managing modern commercial portfolios, staying ahead requires an active presence on regional stages where transnational legal standards are being actively forged. Below is an overview of the key operational takeaways, structural dialogues, and professional milestones from these regional summits.

1. Bilateral Ties and AI Guardrails: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (August 2025)

The journey began with an appointment to represent the Hong Kong legal profession as an official delegate in the largest young lawyers' exchange mission in history, organised by The Law Society of Hong Kong. Participating in the Malaysia-Hong Kong Young Lawyers' Symposium at Wisma Badan Peguam, co-hosted by the Malaysian Bar, our panels focused heavily on market integration and structural risk management amid global economic "de-risking" trends. As corporate clients rapidly deploy artificial intelligence tools, a major point of discussion was the unique challenge of designing cross-border tech guardrails. Crucially, the forum highlighted the need to structure compliance models that function smoothly across both standard common law jurisdictions and specialised frameworks, such as Malaysia's dual-track Sharia legal platforms. Understanding these localised market nuances is vital for advising corporate entities as they expand their operations into the Southeast Asian corridor.

2. Evolving Regional Data Architectures: Tokyo, Japan (August 2025)

Shortly after, I travelled to Tokyo, Japan, to serve as a Guest Speaker for the LAWASIA Communications, Technology and Data Protection Committee. Speaking at Chuo University's Korakuen Campus for the specialised workshop "Data Protection Law on the Move in the Asia-Pacific Region," my presentation focused on the structural friction points in cross-border data portability. Co-sponsored by the Japan Federation of Bar Associations (JFBA) and the Institute of Comparative Law in Japan, this assembly brought together an international panel of jurists, compliance officers, and technology executives. The primary takeaway from the Tokyo summit was the critical need for robust, multi-jurisdictional compliance architectures. As multinational corporate groups face increasingly fractured, localised privacy statutes across Asia, legal advisors must move beyond rigid domestic regulatory interpretations to build fluid, adaptable privacy frameworks.

3. Building Regional Bridges: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (September 2025)

In September, the focus shifted toward expanding corporate frameworks within emerging Southeast Asian markets at the AIJA (International Association of Young Lawyers) 3rd Asia Pacific Regional Meeting. The conference, themed "HCMC 2025 | Empowering Connections: Advancing Legal Excellence in Asia," served as a major node for bilateral professional alignment. As a delegate, I collaborated with an exceptional network of transnational attorneys and regional bodies, notably the Vietnam International Arbitration Centre (VIAC). Our working sessions mapped out emerging transaction protections, corporate sustainability compliance mandates, and the institutional practice infrastructures necessary to support foreign direct investment (FDI) within the ASEAN commercial bloc. The discussions emphasised that legal excellence in modern Asia requires active, relational bridges between rising international practitioners.

4. Advanced Institutional Rules & Simulation: SIAC Seoul Conference (October 28, 2025)

In late October, the focus turned sharply toward the mechanics of institutional commercial dispute resolution at the standalone SIAC Seoul Conference 2025. Hosted by the Singapore International Arbitration Centre at Andaz Seoul Gangnam, the conference was themed "All About SIAC Arbitration: Insights, Industries, and the Road Ahead for Korea."A critical practical component of this engagement was participating in the specialised SIAC-YSIAC Workshop, titled "From Strategy to Simulation: Using the New SIAC Rules and Mock EA with a PPO Application."This program offered an intensive technical exploration of emergency arbitrator pipelines and the procedural mechanics behind handling Preliminary Processing Order (PPO) applications. Gaining hands-on, simulated experience with these updated institutional rules is invaluable, as these mechanisms are essential for maintaining asset stability and protecting commercial interests during high-stakes cross-border disputes.

5. Transnational Dispute Architecture: Seoul ADR Festival (October 27–31, 2025)

Parallel to specific institutional platforms, broader macro legal trends and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) frameworks were evaluated across the week-long Seoul ADR Festival (SAF) 2025. Attending the flagship 14th Asia-Pacific ADR Conference—co-hosted by KCAB International, UNCITRAL, and the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Korea—offered a high-level view of regional dispute dynamics. The cross-border dialogue is centred on the shifting landscapes of international commerce, treaty enforcement, and the ongoing harmonisation of ADR paths across East Asia. Engaging with international arbitrators and regional corporate counsel highlighted the growing reliance on alternative venues to resolve cross-border disputes outside traditional Court litigation.

Looking Forward

Synthesizing these global frameworks directly impacts how we evaluate tech compliance, handle complex commercial arbitrations, and protect cross-border data streams back home. Operating across these distinct jurisdictions throughout 2025 has reinforced the value of an international outlook in an increasingly interconnected legal market. I want to express my deepest gratitude to all the co-hosts, organisers, fellow delegates, and professional bodies who made these invaluable knowledge exchanges possible.

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