[nazgulnarsil]

Oh please. The overwhelming urge to label everything a movement is ridiculous. The internet is allowing intelligent young people to start building value without the years of network building. Of course some of them will be standouts.

[MichaelEllsberg]

I agree with you that many journalists are perhaps a bit quick on the draw to label any little murmur a "movement" or "trend." However, I do believe that the phenomenon of young people questioning formal higher education and striking out on their own---while certainly not at critical mass yet---will truly quality as a true trend/movement to watch in the coming years.

There are just too many structural factors coming together at once: skyrocketing tuition costs; combined with a lackluster economy; combined with unsustainable levels of indebtedness compared to starting salaries; combined with cheap and easy ways to educate yourself on the Net; combined with a cultural trend towards young CEOs (many of whom are dropouts) becoming the new "rock stars"; combined with dramatically lower start-up costs for entrepreneurialism, which usually doesn't require formal credentials; combined with a "red ocean" effect in the oversaturation of BAs on the job market---all of these are pointing to what I think is likely to be a groundswell of young people questioning formal higher education in the next 3-5 years.

Watch this space. I believe it will be an absolutely undeniable movement within a few years.

(Author of the article you are critiquing.)