INSTAGRAM OVER COLLEGE: A recent study, conducted by PRFire.com, a public relations firm, found that one in 10 Pennsylvanians prefer to have a verified Instagram account over a college degree.

Out of 2,600 adults, age 18 to 24, 13% of the Pennsylvania residents polled said they prefer the idea of a verified Instagram account to pursuing a college degree.

That may be related to the fact that Instagram influencers with up to 1 million followers can earn around $10,000 per post, while those with more than 1 million may charge $100,000 or more per post.

Meanwhile, the average income for a US employee prior to the COVID-19 pandemic was $48,600 — and many of those jobs require a degree.

Also, 60% believe college degrees aren’t worth what they used to be.

Poll participants in Louisiana were most keen on the prospect of becoming a social media sensation, with 57% saying they would rather have a verified account than a college degree.

On the other end of the spectrum, Tennesseans were most in favour of a college degree, with 95% saying they would choose a college degree over a verified account on social media.

It was also found that more than a third (34%) admitted they would rather be successful on YouTube than any other site.

In terms of earnings, YouTube pays the most revenue to its creators as compared to other social media platforms – video creators can earn between 6 and 12 cents per view. Therefore, if your video gains 5 million views and you have the right subscriber base, you could earn from $300,000 upwards.

For an interactive map of the results, visit https://www.prfire.com/blog/.