When retirees discussed gig economy work on social networks, they most often mentioned a need to supplement their retirement income (28 percent of discussions). In other instances, they talked about looking for work (21 percent) or asked questions about paying taxes on the money they make (21 percent).

Taxes were the most common subject that drove negative social media posts about gig work, accounting for 10 percent of the total. Closely following was "general worry" about work, at 9 percent. Seven percent of negative conversations were sparked by talks of insurance, while 3 percent mentioned unemployment.

"Workers are trying to find ways to make ends meet and they are going online to find advice from each other on how to do just that," says Caitlin Jamali, Cision's senior insights analyst, in a statement.

Cision deemed the great majority of the news coverage of independent contract workers and the gig economy to be positive, focusing on the benefits of hiring contractors and the advantages of the work flexibility.

The emergence of the gig economy has been embraced by some as a way for workers and employers alike to free themselves from the constraints of the traditional employer-employee relationship, while some worker advocates see the increasing reliance on contractors as a way for employers to profit without providing job security and benefits to workers.