Study to Become an… Influencer?

Social networks have changed everything and positioned themselves as vital platforms in people’s social lives and the global digital economy. According to a study by Statista, just over 369,000 people in the U.S. have between 1,000 and 5,000 followers or more and create content for Instagram.

When talking about “influencers,” the topics they address are endless and suit various audiences, such as comedy, video games, lifestyle, fashion, travel, sports, health, finance, and business, to name a few. Due to the trust they have gained from their followers, many influencers are a reliable source of information to adopt habits, buy products, or position themselves to opine about world events, even going so far as to develop solid parasocial relationships. This is very valuable for brands and companies since it’s an effective way to promote their products and services.

With the sheer number of content creators globally, it is no surprise that new generations seek to become influencers as their dream job. According to a report by Morning Consult, in the United States, 57% of people belonging to Generation Z would become influencers if they had the opportunity, compared to 41% of the other generations.

Being a relatively new career from which, little by little, the first content creators emerged (many began their participation in networks as a hobby, which later became a primary source of income), it is notable that this occupation did not have an educational backup and people have learned about it on their own… until now.

Although some short courses or boot camps have been designed to teach content creation for social media to respond to the needs of modernity and the Internet, South East Technological University in Ireland will become the first institution to offer a professional career to become an influencer on social media. This degree will require three years of study; its first students will join in 2024. Graduates will have the necessary skills to become experts in social networks and learn the theories for connecting with their audience.

Students will take psychology, celebrity studies, and video and podcast creation to immerse themselves in the digital world where social media is the primary tool in this marketing discipline.

It is fascinating how technology revolutionizes all areas of our lives and even creates new careers that we could not have imagined before. The question remains whether Ireland will be the only country to offer an influencer career or if more universities will also create a curriculum to achieve this goal.

So, if you want to take full advantage of the hours you spend on your phone, getting a college degree related to it does not sound like a bad idea!

Do you think more countries will join in offering this type of degree program in their universities? Would you join?

Mariana Sofía Jiménez Nájera

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This article from Observatory of the Institute for the Future of Education may be shared under the terms of the license CC BY-NC-SA 4.0