The new generation of social media stars is getting smaller than ever. They already have a lucrative career before they graduate and earn thousands of dollars a month. American colleges and universities have also begun to follow trends and launch “online presence” courses. No nonsense, because the popular TikTok account is now more valuable to some by degree.
The full credit course at Duke Private University in North Carolina – officially known as “Building Global Audiences” but known as “TikTok Class” – teaches students how to improve their presence in social media apps, and how to debateAnd how much money they can ask for their work.
In the last semester, students gained a total of 145,000 followers and 80 million watched the videos they created.
Lessons focused on social media are not new to American universities. Since Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram play a major role in influencer culture, courses in digital marketing and communications have become an essential part of college education.
Duke educators see social media as a new form of communication and art. But students in California and Virginia can also check out their online presence.
Create content
In Duke’s class, students – who have a total of about 600,000 followers on different platforms – compare their account analysis and goals and discuss why certain posts are doing well or poorly.
Tasks include, for example, creating videos inspired by the current TikTok trend, video presentation and analysis. They can also negotiate with brands as part of the classes, which is also great because students often use their online presence to search for jobs.
Matter
Not everyone is convinced that you really need a degree to create content, especially since the tuition fees are so high. With TikTok, an account can earn between $2,500 and $20,000, depending on followers and account commitment.
Data from research firm Statista shows that the global flu economy has doubled since 2019. Sure, most TikTok field users aren’t looking for anything with their entries, but tuition-paying American students are building their online platforms with serious career goals.
(Cover Image: Agent Kohsar/Various Sources/AFP)