Why Can’t Baylen Work? Understanding the Reality Behind Her Condition
Many viewers have asked the same question while watching the first season: why can’t Baylen hold a regular job? At first glance, it may seem confusing or even frustrating. Some feel that instead of encouraging independence and therapy, the people around her appear to reinforce the idea that she is incapable of doing anything productive — even something as simple as grocery shopping.
However, this issue is far more complex than it appears on the surface.
Baylen’s Condition and Workplace Reality
Baylen lives with severe, unpredictable tics that significantly affect her daily functioning. These tics are not something she chose, nor can she fully control them. In a traditional work environment, this makes her an extreme liability — not because of negligence or lack of effort, but because of safety, legal, and operational risks.
Employers are required to ensure a safe workplace. If an employee may involuntarily hit objects, people, or herself, the risk of injury and legal consequences becomes very real. In this sense, Baylen’s inability to work a conventional job is not a reflection of her character or motivation, but a practical limitation imposed by her medical condition.
Is Baylen Being “Enabled” Instead of Helped?
Some critics argue that Baylen does not appear to make progress, questioning whether constant accommodation may be holding her back. They point out that rather than pushing structured therapy and gradual independence, her support system often adjusts the world around her instead.
This perspective is understandable — but it overlooks an important truth: progress with neurological conditions is not linear. Improvement can take years, and setbacks are common. What looks like “no progress” to outsiders may actually be stability, which in itself can be a significant achievement.
Does Baylen Make Money From Her Tics?
Another controversial question often raised is whether Baylen profits from her condition. The reality is uncomfortable for some, but undeniable: being a content creator and influencer is a legitimate job.
Social media income is real, taxable, and for Baylen, it offers something most traditional jobs cannot:
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Flexible scheduling
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Controlled environments
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Reduced physical risk
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The ability to stop immediately if symptoms worsen
In her case, social media is not exploitation — it is one of the few viable ways she can support herself financially without putting herself or others in danger.
Influencing Is Not “Doing Nothing”
There is still a widespread belief that making money online is not real work. That belief does not hold up in today’s economy. Content creation requires consistency, audience engagement, emotional labor, and public exposure — all of which can be exhausting, especially for someone managing a serious condition.
For Baylen, influencing is not an easy option; it is the safest and most realistic one.
Final Thoughts
Baylen is not incapable. She is not lazy. And she is not avoiding work.
She is navigating life with a condition that drastically limits her options. Judging her by traditional employment standards ignores the medical, legal, and human realities involved. Supporting Baylen does not mean giving up on growth — it means recognizing that productivity looks different when survival itself is a daily challenge.
