As a 20-year veteran of blogging and social media. we should also not overlook that the "marketing angle" many people take with Steemit tends to set up newcomers with unrealistic expectations.

Also, let's not forget that a random newcomer who arrives at steemit.com is presented with the "trending" page which is filled with $500 posts, which could easily lead people to think this is just a giant "cash dispenser" where they can get lots of "money for nothing."