How Teen ‘After-Prom’ Kings in LA Monetized the High School Rager

The scene is set for a raucous night of music, dancing, and excess in Los Angeles. But scratch beneath the surface, and you’ll find something far more insidious at play: underage drinking, lax venue regulations, and exploitation – all fueled by the desire for social media clout and easy money.

At the epicenter of this phenomenon is Jack Schwartz, 21-year-old founder and CEO of MyPlots. His company has become the go-to platform for LA’s under-21 crowd, boasting an impressive roster of high-end events, including all-ages rap shows and exclusive mansion parties. These events are marketed with a slickness that creates FOMO as much as it sells tickets.

What’s most striking about MyPlots’ rise to prominence isn’t its technology or innovative approach but the ease with which Schwartz and his peers have carved out a lucrative niche catering to underage crowds – often with little more than a nod to regulatory compliance. An industry insider candidly noted, “If you get real creative, there’s always a way to make money – even without leaving your house.”

The party promotion business in LA has long been notorious for its lax regulations and exploitation of young people. But Schwartz’s success story highlights the darker side of this world: underage drinking, reckless marketing tactics, and a disregard for safety protocols. His own history as an entrepreneur is marked by trailblazing confidence that borders on recklessness – from waiting outside celebrity haunts to snagging endorsement deals to hosting high-end parties in his teens.

Schwartz’s early parties often took place at warehouses, offices, or even friends’ houses, venues willing to bend the rules for a quick buck. Parents too have been caught off guard by their children’s involvement in these events. One industry insider shared an anecdote about how Schwartz’s dad worked security and collected payments at his son’s parties – raising questions about parental oversight and complicity.

The consequences of this laissez-faire approach are stark. The exploitation of underage youth is not just a symptom of the party promotion industry but also a reflection of our society’s values. Are we so enamored with the idea of “making it” that we’re willing to turn a blind eye to the exploitation of young people? Or is this simply a symptom of a larger issue: the commodification of teenage social status?

As Schwartz himself noted, “So many young people are just on their phones all day” – and for those who can’t or won’t wait, the allure of instant gratification through party promotion is too great to resist. This phenomenon is not unique to Schwartz or MyPlots but rather a symptom of a system that enables exploitation and a culture that prizes clout over consequence.

The question on everyone’s lips should be: what will it take for us to finally acknowledge the damage being done?