Is education becoming meaningless and obsolete?

It has been said "Creativity is thinking up new things, and innovation is doing new things".

All over social media, topics such as “Business Goals You Should Focus This Year,” “Building Engaging Videos in 2024” and “Is Everyone Truly a Podcaster Material?” are surfacing.

Are those the reasons behind the need for most to change and shine each year? True enough, with the rise of social media and digital platforms, we get to know all this information at our fingertips. You can figure most things out from the internet. The best outfits to buy and styles to go for this year.

Wonderful but wait. Think for a minute.

Are you believing and doing all these because you want to (after putting much thoughts into it) or because everyone else seems to be doing it? If it is the latter, be careful. You might have a ‘herd mentality’ or stuck in the ‘bandwagon effect'.

Hence, as educators of young adults and adults, most will also agree that a new aspiration has emerged among school leavers: to become influencers. Social media influencing has become such a norm that majority of them say they are interested to carve out a career in the captivating world of social media influence, instead of embarking on other career pathways.

Does this mean youngsters have to neglect their education entirely in pursuit of an “almost irresistible” career option because it offers creative freedom, good earning potential, and the platform to make an impact? How can parents and educators engage in response to this?

People are biologically programmed to be social, leading to sense of belonging and acceptance. Yes, even if you are an introvert. People also like to be on the winning team and to signal their social identity. To do so, they adopt the behaviour of the group around them.

Thus, the more you listen to social media influencers, the more you want to follow and become just like them.

However, with knowledge, controlled and limited consumption as well as clear boundaries, you will be able to minimise this effect on yourself. Hence, I would like to highlight, the importance of education here, yet again. It protects you from social biases, enable you to think critically, look for other reliable resources as information and allows you to make better decisions.

“Most innovation involves doing the things we do every day a little bit better rather than creating something completely new and different.” To become a content creator, one must have lots of content; knowledge and information about a subject which comes with an educated mind and heart; grounded in knowledge, manners, ethics, skills, and experience.

With the education system being devalued in recent years, journey should begin with self-awareness. What we need is a mirror, at times to help us identify and envisage possibilities of what we can be, this mirror can be in form of a coach, mentor, or teacher; however, education has proven to be the best mirror for many, showing us all that is possible, challenging us to raise our sights.

For every influencer who has gained a significant following, good for you! There are however, many more who struggle to achieve the required hits before they make money or any returns at all. Noting on success stories of others to inspire us is important, however we need to consider those hidden failures people do not often share as well.

Some influencers struggle to establish their brands, face continuous mental issue and strain due to unlimited life exposure and lack of privacy, and other potential risks we might not even know of.

In the meantime, what are you going to do before reaching that success?

If you have the outlook that high school examinations do not benefit you, why are you limiting yourselves to one format or curriculum when you know there are plenty of others out there for you to learn from? Perhaps it is time for you to rethink and shift your perspective towards education instead!

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is reported to have said: “Moderation, moderation! For only with moderation will you succeed.”

You would not want to come up with ignorant and uninformed statements while creating your content, would you? It might make you famous for a day or two but life is about sustainability.

SYAZUIN SAZALI is a Subject Matter Expert in soft skills. In each writing, she aims to share an actionable short idea, 2 quotes from others and 1 question for you to ponder upon. Linkedin & Instagram: @syazuinsazali, email: [email protected]. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of Sinar Daily.