I think this is less about the value of college and more about disillusioned Gen Zers who can't understand why they're not pulling down a six figure income for their first job and not scoring dates with 10s on Tinder.
Obligatory old CollegeHumor video.
There is a point to that. It is a mix of things. Having self esteem driven into them without having any real accomplishments, being told that having a degree - any degree - made them ubermenchen. Social expectations delivered to them that they had no boundaries, and Pop culture expectations that took a few young successful people, led many to believe that was the norm, that they deserved to have a big paycheck at their introductory level job, and have a meteoric rise to leadership positions almost immediately.
As well as having a really rough time trying to understand that. I have long been on record that these young people have been really shortchanged by us, their parents. Yet if I mention anything that might be considered mild criticism, I am set upon like a wildebeest by crocodiles. Every so often you have to take a telling.
My experience is mostly with Millennials, and perhaps the latest demographic might have it worse.
But the millennials where I was came in thinking that anyone around their parents age was there to support them. They would go around barking orders to much more senior people. I watched them sort of freak out when they discovered the old dude was much more knowledgable than them.
We had things like the young lady who started playing manager with me - one of the things I did was take overload from the illustrators. She was assigning work to me. I found out she was spending the time on Facebook - back before old people took over FB.
A woman who took over 6 months time off in one year to travel, and mental health days.
A guy who started yelling at me because I pointed at his laptop screen. "Don't you EVER, EVER touch my computer!" Told him I didn't touch it. "I said DONT!" I sent him packing
The guy who ignored my phone calls, then told me he only does text messages. I told him he would answer my phone calls, or I would visit him personally, along with the Director. You don't come in and dictate the rules on your first hire.
Interesting, two of the best employees I ever worked with were millennials, They left too, but not for job problems. One wanted to get an MBA, but the Dean insisted she be full time, so she moved back with her family in a city where she could work and pursue her degree. The other was offered a masters to Doctorates free ride at another university.
Point is, the basic rules haven't changed. Start your new first career job, have some humility, do really good work, and move up the ladder at a pace the ladder allows. Save money, invest wisely, live within your means, and you'll hit your goals in a more realistic time than "immediately". I didn't become so called "wealthy" until I was in my late 40's, and yes, wealth begets wealth.
I didn't make the rules.