I'll make a bet with you: how many times a day have you received ads on social networks talking about how to become a millionaire? What about publications by influencers on how to be richer working on the internet? More than five for sure. Forget everything these people tell you on social media.
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Have you noticed that the amount of this type of content has increased in recent years? And the content is always the same. As a rule, the speech talks about how someone dropped out of college to invest in a profitable business without leaving home, or how by investing x amount of money, he became millionaire in a few years.
The conversation is very promising and tempting. But let's take two steps back and look at the bigger picture. There are dangers hidden in these messages.
Doubtful message and ostentation
Social media reaches millions of people every day. They are users of different ages, contexts and, mainly, different social classes. The message of these so-called financial “gurus” can reach people who are too young – or too naive – who may believe that making money is easy and happens overnight.
In ten years, according to numbers from USA Today, the number of active users on social networks has tripled. While the number of people dropping out of higher education has been dropping by about 4% a year over the same period of time, according to research by the Edutation Data Initiative.
This does not mean that the two events are fully correlated. However, the rise of content about getting rich easily and “creative” ways to earn more money may play a role. That's what the website says Entrepreneur.com.
The publication emphasizes that the ostentation of digital influencers can cause the impression that it is enough to be a content creator to have access to the same luxurious lifestyle. These people take advantage of this to sell courses to their followers that, many times, will not change their lives at all.
Want the truth? Invest in education to be a millionaire!
The numbers don't lie! According to a survey carried out by Forbes magazine, 84% of the 400 richest people in the world have at least an undergraduate degree. Furthermore, 24% of the people in this select group graduated from prestigious universities.
Not convinced? A survey by the National Study of Millionaires revealed that 88% of millionaires have a college degree. Of these, 52% have some degree (MBA, Masters or Doctorate).
If 9 out of 10 millionaires invested in education and graduated from higher education and half of the millionaires have a graduate degree, the influencers lied.
Even if you didn't want to be a millionaire, it's still important to invest in higher education. A survey published by the Tax Foundation showed that 78% of people earning $200,000 a year have a degree.
With all this information, it's good to think twice before paying yet another ticket for the course of some internet guru.
Graduated in Social Communication at the Federal University of Goiás. Passionate about digital media, pop culture, technology, politics and psychoanalysis.