I agree to a point. I don't condone stealing service and I can easily afford to pay for the services I enjoy.  
however, he sounds young and probably doesn't have a pot to piss in.
I have a few twenty somethings in my life.  They will never get ahead making the wages available to them so I understand their angst towards the system. 

 GM not sure how you came to that conclusion. 🤔

Just the opposite actually.

I am happy to *finally* have a way to give value directly back to creators, developers, producers on my own terms — without enriching corporations and rent-seeking middle men.

#value4value is an innovation. I can now pay what exactly as much as I can afford and support exactly those people who create value in my own life, without being forced to support others who extract value instead. 

 Not the OP, but you did say, "I torrent music and films and use pirated software instead of paying." Seems like theft to me.

(The ethics of digital ownership and throwing money into a pot where the creators only get a tiny fraction's a separate thing, as well as the fact that not everything torrented would have been consumed otherwise.) 

 Sure, but my overall point was that I no longer have to do that! I now have a viable alternative 🤝 

 out making friends eh chief?
😆
i hear you @Filou. 
it takes discipline to remain sovereign