"Hulk who? Amber who?" would probably be the average response if you asked the average person who they were.
As for universities, the enshittification process is likely a side effect of them devolving from public goods (people go to uni because they want to) to perishable goods (people go to uni because they have no other choice in the job market).
Pretty sure a big part is that no-one makes the distinction between 'anyone can do it' and 'everyone can do it', but it's a really important one.
If we have a hypothetical population of 5 million and 1 million of those are Uni graduates, then if one individual person gets a degree that's a pretty reliable ticket into the top 20%. However, if an extra *2 million* people get degrees, they will absolutely *not* all get elevated to the top 20% - that's not how percentages work.
As a society, we've been (implicitly) kidding ourselves that it's possible to have an economy where everyone is a doctor/lawyer/CEO and no-one has to flip burgers, wait tables or clean toilets. That's not gonna happen, so we need to 1) have an honest look at how many white-collar vs blue-collar jobs we actually have/need, 2) start being realistic about what we tell young people about their prospects and where they should go, and 3) admit the the low-end jobs are necessary and people doing them are there because the economy *forces* someone to do them, not because they are 'too lazy to learn to code' - and then set pay and conditions accordingly.
Good point about how universities (and polytechs becoming universities) has created a job market over-supplied with graduates but in addition to that, a university these days is primarily a qualifications factory and is incentivised to recruit as many students as possible AND to ensure they pass. A situation that is not helped by having to cater for an increasing number of students who in 13 years of schooling have not developed adequate literacy or numeracy skills (let alone the confidence to think critically). I guess for me it is not just the oversupply of grads (a university education was seriously life-changing for me - it literally woke me up) but that too many of our grads are coming out of tertiary institutions without having developing the a rich knowledge-based understanding of the world.
I have read it! Matthew has strong sceptical opinions, and he would not have survived in a UK uni. I don't share all his views, but I sympathise with him on that one.
"Hulk who? Amber who?" would probably be the average response if you asked the average person who they were.
As for universities, the enshittification process is likely a side effect of them devolving from public goods (people go to uni because they want to) to perishable goods (people go to uni because they have no other choice in the job market).
Also, this meme is a good summation:
https://web.archive.org/web/20220815164507/https://twitter.com/StrictlyChristo/status/1464018703142383619
2000: Go to college or you'll be flipping burgers!
2008: What do you mean you can't find a job, is flipping burgers too good for you?
2016: You want $15/hr for flipping burgers?! Millennials are so entitled.
2021: Why does no one want to flip burgers anymore?
A sad commentary! 2030: robots flip the burgers
2031, nobody has jobs or money to buy burgers. Robot manufacturer shuts down making robots unemployed.
2032: Robots autonomously manufacture more robots.
Pretty sure a big part is that no-one makes the distinction between 'anyone can do it' and 'everyone can do it', but it's a really important one.
If we have a hypothetical population of 5 million and 1 million of those are Uni graduates, then if one individual person gets a degree that's a pretty reliable ticket into the top 20%. However, if an extra *2 million* people get degrees, they will absolutely *not* all get elevated to the top 20% - that's not how percentages work.
As a society, we've been (implicitly) kidding ourselves that it's possible to have an economy where everyone is a doctor/lawyer/CEO and no-one has to flip burgers, wait tables or clean toilets. That's not gonna happen, so we need to 1) have an honest look at how many white-collar vs blue-collar jobs we actually have/need, 2) start being realistic about what we tell young people about their prospects and where they should go, and 3) admit the the low-end jobs are necessary and people doing them are there because the economy *forces* someone to do them, not because they are 'too lazy to learn to code' - and then set pay and conditions accordingly.
Sensible take on it! Add perhaps to 3, "decent fair wages".
Good point about how universities (and polytechs becoming universities) has created a job market over-supplied with graduates but in addition to that, a university these days is primarily a qualifications factory and is incentivised to recruit as many students as possible AND to ensure they pass. A situation that is not helped by having to cater for an increasing number of students who in 13 years of schooling have not developed adequate literacy or numeracy skills (let alone the confidence to think critically). I guess for me it is not just the oversupply of grads (a university education was seriously life-changing for me - it literally woke me up) but that too many of our grads are coming out of tertiary institutions without having developing the a rich knowledge-based understanding of the world.
I totally agree, Mark. I saw those kids coming straight from year 13. They weren't prepared, and often didn't understand what 'study' meant.
If celebrity endorsements didn’t work, we wouldn’t see so many used in marketing consumer products.
Re endorsements: Nature endorsed Joe Biden; it did not impact Biden - but it did lead to a loss of trust in Nature. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-00799-3
Very good! You could generalise that as a warning to universities about endorsing particular political causes.
I don't know if you read Matthew Goodwin's Substack, but he agrees with you, very strongly, about what's happening in universities.
I have read it! Matthew has strong sceptical opinions, and he would not have survived in a UK uni. I don't share all his views, but I sympathise with him on that one.