I think the author is correct in how she points out the relatability of the fictional premise. The show is meant to appeal to a wide audience, so not everyone watching it will be at the basest levels of poverty. That doesn't mean they can't relate to the themes of the Squid Game in their own lives. As a viewer of the content, socio-economic standing is irrelevant.

The author also should be cut some slack for being a philosophy student. Her income is irrelevant. Academia and specifically college student work is where I would hope treatises on modern day philosophy would originate.