Public Perception of Higher Education in Indonesia’s Digital Era: Exploring the “College is a Scam” Narrative on Social Media
Keywords:
higher education; public perception; social media discourse; employability; IndonesiaAbstract
The narrative “college is a scam” circulating on social media reflects a shift in public perception of higher education in Indonesia’s digital era. This study aims to analyse public perception of higher education through the “college is a scam” narrative, identify the factors shaping this perception, and explain its implications for higher education learning. This study used a descriptive mixed-methods survey design through an online questionnaire involving 360 respondents. All respondents were TikTok users and had been exposed to content containing the “college is a scam” narrative. Quantitative data were analysed using percentages, while open-ended responses were interpreted thematically. The findings show that 69.4% of respondents perceived a mismatch between higher education and labour market needs, 66.7% viewed tuition fees as a significant burden, and 55.6% identified digital entrepreneurship as the main alternative career path. However, higher education has not completely lost its legitimacy because many respondents still recognise its social, intellectual, and symbolic value. The novelty of this study lies in positioning a viral social media narrative as an empirical entry point for understanding changing public trust in higher education. The study concludes that higher education institutions need to strengthen curriculum relevance, practical learning, transparent cost-value communication, and digital public engagement to remain credible in the digital era.
https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.25.6.33
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