It is a matter of perspective. People in Venezuela may only earn a few dollars per month normally, so Hive can make a difference. Even there it is only a tiny minority of people using Hive for now. I know some people fear a flood of what they consider 'low quality' content, but Hive is open to all and even the big accounts could not downvote everyone. So it could get interesting if it takes off there.
I was around when some people made thousands from a single post and even I could make $200 sometimes. The algorithm has changed, but then the price dropped too. It has not gone down to 7c as it did previously. I kept posting even then as it is fun. I've spent a lot of time on Hive and it has to pay me in more than money.
You also get paid in reputation and credibility. If you become a Hive celebrity (is there such a thing?), that's a type of currency.
I've got some sort of reputation here by being active. Not that I really have anything to sell. For now I'm a medium fish in a tiny pond :)
Aren't we all? lol