[CodeSheikh]

Part of the problem, money is flowing more towards sinks like "Social Influencers", "V-loggers" and other similar jobs. Younger generation is focusing more on instant fame/money/reward/acknowledgement than investing in long term initiatives like pursuing STEM based programs. Sadly we live in a time where a 15 year old is making more money posting his/her pictures than someone holding a Phd. Forget about academia jobs there are no more jobs in post-docs positions in USA anymore.

[panopticon]

Is that really any different than kids going to college for kinesiology just to play football? There's a huge education problem in the United States, and it has existed long before the advent of the vlogger.

[balthasar]

The entertainment industry has always had pop culture icons making more than skilled-professionals. Are you getting social media confused with companies who innovate just because they both use computers?

[CodeSheikh]

Agree that people in entertainment always making more money than skilled-professionals. But my point is that younger demographic is heavily influenced by current social-media-preneurs rater than STEM achievers.

[leereeves]

That's nothing new. Sports, acting, and music attracted a huge fraction of young Baby Boomers and GenXers.

[dragonwriter]

> The entertainment industry has always had pop culture icons making more than skilled-professionals.

And vast hordes, often indistinguishable but for luck, making far less. But they are less visible, inherently.

[toomanybeersies]

How much actual money is flowing towards social influencers and vloggers?

It's all just advertising. Print advertising is dead (hyperbole), replaced by social advertising.