An ‘influencer' degree? Colleges bet on content creator major as critics question its value

The useful part

Ask a teen what they want to be when they grow up, and there's a fair chance being an influencer is on their list. Digital media and the people who star in it have been cultural mainstays for teens' entire lives, so creating social media, video or podcast content seems a natural, albeit nontraditional, career path. Arizona State University recently launched a new bachelor's degree in content creation, offered through its Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

How it works

• The curriculum overlaps with that of ASU's mass communication and media studies degree, with the major departure being a slate of specialized electives on podcasting, studio production and on-camera presence.
• The university, which declined an interview request about the new program, is not the first to offer content creation courses.
• Universities, eager to compete for a shrinking student population, are rolling out new majors intended to prepare students for today's careers.

Details worth keeping

Now they can earn a college degree in that very field. The ASU program is not the first of its kind. Whether they lead to jobs can be up for debate.