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- Discouraged by Discourse? A Social Media Discourse Analysis
Research and insight
Discouraged by Discourse?
A social media discourse analysis on attitudes toward higher education.
At the FACE annual summit in 2025, the sector identified a critical gap in its knowledge: what is influencing some young people, predominantly those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, to bypass university? To explore this, colleagues at Durham University were commissioned to conduct a study running from November 2025 to May 2026. Using sampling profile mapping and critical discourse analysis, the research examined a range of online spaces to analyse the distinct messaging these posts promote to a particular audience.
“Uni Actually ******* Sucks”: the new online lexicon
The language used to describe higher education online is highly charged, deeply sceptical, and often filled with expletives. Rather than a stepping stone to success, higher education in these posts is frequently framed through words such as ‘scam’, ‘expensive’, ‘useless’ and ‘deceptive’.
Content creators and users within this context warn peers that ‘you don’t want to live in a chokehold for the rest of your life’, pointing to broader targets such as ‘the system’ and ‘the matrix’.
The rise of the dropout influencer
A significant driver of this discourse comes from content creators who present themselves as influencers and entrepreneurs. Relying heavily on the narrative hook ‘I Dropped Out of Uni. Here’s Why’, these figures draw on their own experience to issue a clear call to action. They champion independent entrepreneurship as a viable, modern alternative to sticking out a degree.
A changing world order
The study identified five core sociocultural discourses that heavily influence these negative perceptions of higher education. Each card below names a discourse found in these online spaces and summarises the claim it advances. They describe what the posts assert, not the view of the sector.
Social, political and economic instability
In a rapidly changing world, a degree no longer guarantees financial security.
Covid-19 and digital transformation
Advances in technology have left degrees outdated and unsuited to the modern workplace.
Entrepreneurship and personal responsibility
Starting a business and gaining experience is a better and cheaper route to future income.
Toxic masculinity
The education system suppresses the traditional male values needed to succeed.
Populism, anti-establishment sentiment and autonomy
University is used by the establishment to control people financially and ideologically.
These elements feed a broader perception of general social decline, leaving some young people to view higher education with immense scepticism. The dominant consensus emerging from these online spaces is that ‘most degrees are absolutely useless’, criticised above all as a waste of time and money that fails to deliver on employability.
What happens next?
This research opens crucial questions for the whole sector. Universities, policy makers, widening participation practitioners and school leaders now have to confront these digital narratives. How can institutions respond to the study’s recommendations, rebuild trust, and address the growing digital pushback against higher education?
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