The Microeconomic Fallacy of Monetized Polyglots: HYPIA as a Countervailing Force

Abstract

This paper examines frequent efforts by individual polyglots to monetize their linguistic capabilities through social media and YouTube. In drawing an analogy from microeconomic studies, the paper finds that the microeconomic logic of monetizing individual distinction in polyglots is flimsy, owing to the low barriers to entry, mass dissemination of videos, absence of monopoly power, language’s public nature, and indistinguishability of individual brands. This paves the way for rejecting monetization and the fostering of polyglotism as a public good, fostered and cherished by collectives rather than individuals, as done by HYPIA.

Keywords: microeconomic, barriers to entry, youtube, language, polyglot