By Ilona Hoffmann, Features Subeditor
Is social media influence becoming the new bachelor’s degree? University applicants among 18-year-olds dropped from 38.2 per cent in 2021 to 36.4 per cent in 2024, which coincided with the influencer industry reaching a height of £16.8 billion. Over 50 million young people around the world consider themselves to be influencers or creators, with Gen Z embracing the internet economy as a more flexible path to financial success and personal fulfilment. With rising burnout, low wages, and overwhelming student debt, the traditional university path is losing its appeal.
A staggering 74 per cent of students feel so stressed that they have been too overwhelmed to cope with the university environment. Epigram spoke to fourth-year BioChemistry student, Jana, who stated that ‘stress is inevitable when you want to do well, however, this stress builds year on year and by fourth year the workload turnaround is very overwhelming.’ She expressed that these feelings were shared by her cohort and that there have been many times that the workload has felt ‘unmanageable.’
University has always been a stressful environment with long hours of studying
and continuous assessments. However, pairing the stress with skyrocketing student debt is a relatively recent emergence. In 1998, student fees were introduced to the UK higher education system. Now, in 2025 only 5.8 per cent of student loan balances have been paid off, making the idea of a debt-free life unimaginable for most students.
Interestingly, with the rise of entrepreneurship and education moving online during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gen Z has become 17 per cent more likely to apply for remote work than previous generations. Young people today enjoy the flexibility and comfort that comes with working from home and being your own boss. Eve, a fourth-year Law student, told Epigram that students these days ‘appreciate the hybrid lifestyle where they can better manage home life, hobbies and lifestyle choices without compromising on their career opportunities.’
With wide access to social media content, Gen Z is seeing young influencers achieve financial independence and fame without a degree, reinforcing the idea that success in the digital age doesn’t require traditional education. In fact, 64 per cent of Gen Z are prioritising working from any location they choose, with 62 per cent wanting to pursue work they find meaningful and contributing to their life experience.
Influencers can make a living from anywhere around the world at the tips of their fingers, which allows them to travel and prioritise hobbies and lifestyles they would be unable to do in a traditional 9-5 job that university degrees encourage. Gen Z prioritises gaining diverse experiences over climbing the traditional corporate ladder. They focus on developing transferable skills and seek roles that offer learning opportunities, adaptability, travel and exploration across multiple fields.
Pia, a fourth-year Chemistry student, agreed with Eve, telling Epigram the key reason behind her generation's need for flexibility: ‘My school year was really impacted by COVID-19, as we had to skip the summer everyone travels in and we went straight to university.’ So, it’s no surprise now that new graduates want to experience the world without sacrificing job prospects – making up for lost time. Pia continued to say: ‘We see it all over social media; multitasking can be done.’
‘when you’re at school you’re encouraged to follow a practical career path as the job market is hard enough as it is.’
This isn’t just about seeking fame, though. It’s about seizing opportunities in a fast-growing economy that enables individuals to create their own brands, engage with customers and turn their talents into income. A recent study showed that 83 per cent of undergraduates feel it is important to study what they love, yet only 40 per cent of the students were studying subjects that aligned with their passions. Eve commented that ‘when you’re at school you’re encouraged to follow a practical career path as the job market is hard enough as it is.’ From the get-go, education promotes traditional career paths, which results in only 29 per cent of students choosing their degree because it’s their passion.
The job market is evolving. As the digital age expands, so are the skills needed for career opportunities. Skills in social media, branding and content creation are now highly valuable, often more so than a degree. Skills such as digital strategy, content creation and data analytics are becoming key assets for companies. So the question is, do universities help develop these skills?
‘It needs people to approach social media in unique ways and that can’t be taught.’
Epigram learnt from Alisha, a masters student in Marketing and Management, that ‘humanities degrees are really helpful in developing transferable skills such as learning critically, writing engagingly and gaining copywriting skills. However, curation itself is really dependent on what you’re promoting and that comes with learning on the job.’ University provides transverse skills that can be applied to all jobs, but the individuality and personality that social influence thrives on is difficult to teach.
As a result of the increasing number of young people working as influencers or creating content for brands, universities are altering their approach. The Southeast Technical University in Carlow will be one of the first universities to open a Bachelor of Arts course in Content Creations and Social Media. Over the four-year course, students will learn business skills, video and audio editing, critical cultural studies and creative writing. Alongside this, Regents University London has opened a masters course on Content Creation. Alisha found this intriguing: ‘Content creation courses are a bit odd to me because it’s all about promoting someone's life/brand. As much as data analytics and marketing can be taught, I feel content creation is individual and can be self-taught. It needs people to approach social media in unique ways and that can’t be taught.’
Social media doesn't have to be all algorithms - it can be art, too
The rise of study influencers: Has social media changed revision culture?
As universities begin to adapt to the shifting job market, the question remains: will traditional education evolve fast enough to keep up with Gen Z’s entrepreneurial mindset? Whether through a degree or digital fame, one thing is clear: success today is no longer confined to the lecture hall.
Featured Image: Epigram / Ilona Hoffmann
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