look news india
In this era of social media, where millions of youth are becoming content creators and social media influencers sitting at home through smartphones and some basic editing apps, a surprising incident is becoming increasingly viral on the internet. A woman completed a master’s degree from a prestigious foreign university to learn the ins and outs of creating Instagram Reels, TikTok videos and social media content, all from her own pocket. A full ₹36 lakh (about more than $43,000) Spent it. When the woman revealed her degree and the huge expenditure incurred on it on social media, users were left baffled. Not only did people question the usefulness of this degree, but a heated debate also began as to whether it was a wise decision to spend such a huge amount of money and take on student loans just to learn how to make 15 to 60 second reels.
According to the information going viral, this foreign national girl was deeply interested in becoming a digital content creator on social media. To learn algorithms, viral trends, video framing, brand partnerships and audience engagement at an academic level, she enrolled in a ‘Content Creation and Digital Media’ program at a renowned university.
After completion of the course, when the woman shared a video on social media with her graduation gown and degree and said that she had spent approximately ₹ 36 lakh on this two-year study, the video crossed a million views in no time. In the video, the woman was proudly showing off her degree, but the comments section was flooded with mixed and shocked reactions from people.
As soon as the woman’s video went viral, internet users were divided into two camps. Most users termed this decision as unnecessary and a waste of money:
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Reference to free tutorials: Many users commented and wrote that today there are thousands of free tutorials available on YouTube to understand CapCut, Premiere Pro, Storytelling and Instagram algorithm. What was the need to take a loan of lakhs of rupees for this?
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Practical Experience vs Bookish Knowledge: Other experienced creators said that success on social media is not achieved by a university degree, but by continuously posting content, facing the camera and testing the likes and dislikes of the audience (Hit and Trial).
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Questions on ROI (Return on Investment): Financial experts commented that the capital of Rs 36 lakh could have hired a high-end studio, camera gear, lighting and an entire production team, which would have led to much better and faster growth.
However, amid criticism, some people and academics also defended the woman’s decision. He believes that in the changing times, digital media is no longer just a ‘time pass’ but has become an organized industry worth billions of dollars:
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Opportunities in Corporate and Global Brands: Many large Fortune 500 companies and PR agencies are now hiring professionals who have formal degrees in media ethics, copyright law, consumer behavior, and digital strategy.
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High-level networking: During such courses in foreign universities, students get the opportunity to collaborate directly with big media houses, global YouTubers and marketing heads, which common creators do not easily get.
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Commercial Understanding: Instead of just making funny videos, this type of degree gives students a deeper understanding of media budgeting, sponsorship contracts, and data analytics.
In recent years, many private institutions in the US, UK, Ireland and even India have started short-term diploma and degree courses on social media influencing, podcasting and creator economy. Ireland’s South East Technological University (SETU) recently made global headlines by launching a 3-year bachelor’s degree program in ‘Content Creation and Social Media’.
Experts say that while formal education can give you a basic understanding of media, no classroom can teach ‘originality’ and the skill of connecting with the audience on social media. This viral degree worth ₹ 36 lakh has proved how much the creator economy has become a big attraction among the youth in today’s era, even if they have to put their future hard-earned money at stake.