A TikToker has gone viral after claiming that she left her master’s program because she couldn’t “afford to live on $350/wk anymore.”
In the now-viral TikTok, user @indiesleaz posts a series of responses to her statement over stock photos of professors, seemingly implying that the responses in the video came from the faculty at her school.
“Have you tried budgeting?” one of the stock photos asks.
“Oh your parents aren’t paying for it?” another inquires.
“Why don’t you just buy a car and move to the suburbs?” queries a third.
A fourth simply states, “it sounds like you’re not mature enough for grad school.”
The video, which has over 316,000 views, has sparked considerable discussion.
In the comments, users shared their own experiences with telling professors about their financial troubles.
“I had one teacher tell me i had to eat rice and beans. which besides sounding racially motivated, just made me confused,” one user wrote.
“Had a professor tell me to just follow the science and money will come,” another commented.
“I followed the money instead and quit the program lol.”
The cost of education has gone up significantly since the time when Baby Boomers first began to enter university. In 2017, CNBC reported that as late as 1987, the average tuition cost for a private nonprofit four-year institution (adjusted for inflation in 2017) was just $15,160. In contrast, the average 2017 tuition cost for the same universities was $34,740.
The purchasing power of wages remained stagnant throughout this period, according to a Pew Research report. The report also notes that most actual wage increases “have gone largely to the highest earners.”
Back on TikTok, users speculated that facts like these make it more difficult for Baby Boomers to understand the economic issues currently impacting younger generations.
“Legit getting told that study needs to be my full time job by faculty being paid to work a full time job,” one user wrote. “like bro you gonna survive on working 2 days?”
“my program pays okay, but all the faculty are so out of touch with rent prices,” a second user claimed. “when I got in they went on and on about the low price of living…The program is located in Nashville!!! One of the most expensive places to live and it keeps getting worse!!”
“That’s why when it comes to Baby Boomers I just roll my eyes and walk away,” another user concluded.
The Daily Dot reached out to @indiesleaz via TikTok comment. The TikToker did not immediately respond to the request for comment.
Today’s top stories
| ‘Fill her up’: Bartender gives woman a glass of water when the man she’s with orders tequila shot |
| ‘I don’t think my store has even sold one’: Whataburger employees take picture with first customer who bought a burger box |
| ‘It was a template used by anyone in the company’: Travel agent’s ‘condescending’ out-of-office email reply sparks debate |
| Sign up to receive the Daily Dot’s Internet Insider newsletter for urgent news from the frontline of online. |
