‘I didn’t want to fund a dream built on TikTok’: Gen X dad threatens to stop paying for his 19-year-old daughter's college education after finding out she lied about her ‘Content Creation’ major, sparks debate online about modern parenting

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Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
May 19, 2025 5:00 PM EDT

30 years ago, if you told an established, educated businessman that employees could be sitting at home in their pajama pants, hopping on conference calls with their CEO, and raking in $200k per year, they probably would have laughed in your face. Over the last several decades, success—and the path to reach it—has changed drastically with the introduction of commonplace computers, the internet, and social media. 

Things have profoundly changed, but this Gen X dad was stuck in his ways when it came to his daughter's college education. While a parent who's capable of bankrolling their child's 6-figure university education should have a bit of a say in how they tackle their course-load, being downright ignorant of societal shifts in educational practices is just closed-minded. Parenting has changed a lot over the years, and ultimately most parents just want their kid's to be happy, comfortable, and pleased with their lives, so while this father's intentions were good, he missed the point of his daughter's 'Digital Content Creation' major, refusing to believe that TikTok or any other social platform could be a lucrative avenue for a real career. 

This again, sir!

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  • Cheezburger Image 10506256384
    via bunyaritklinsukhonphotos

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • "AITAH for not paying for my daughter’s college because she lied about her major?"

    I (48M) have always promised my daughter (19F) that I'd pay for her college as long as she was serious and honest. We agreed I'd cover tuition for any major
    via Haunting_Professor90
  • except "social media influencer- related nonsense" (her words, not mine) because I didn't want to fund a dream built on TikTok.
    via Haunting_Professor90
  • She told me she was majoring in Communications, and I've been paying her tuition at an out-of- state school. I just found out she changed her major after her first
    via Haunting_Professor90
  • Cheezburger Image 10506256128
    via bunyaritklinsukhonphotos

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • semester to something called "Digital Content Creation" and didn't tell me. She's been making videos of herself doing makeup reviews, hauls, and "day in my life" vlogs.
    via Haunting_Professor90
  • When I confronted her, she said it's her dream and I should support it. I told her I won't pay for next semester unless she switches back or finds another way to pay.
    via Haunting_Professor90
  • She called me controlling and said I "lied" about supporting her dreams. Now my ex-wife is furious with me and thinks I'm crushing our daughter's future over semantics. AITAH?
    via Haunting_Professor90
  • dirty8man I laughed at digital marketing too until I realized what my last four companies have paid people just to run our linkedin account.
    via dirty8man
  • Certain_Host9401 I'm a 50 year old tech sales guy. If I told my dad 30 years ago that I was going to sit in my pajamas and talk to people over video calls, with an occasional expensive dinner
    via Certain_Host9401
  • and some travel- and make $500k a year- he would have had me committed. My point is- our kids are going
    via Certain_Host9401
  • to make money in ways that we can't comprehend. Hopefully that social media/content degree also includes accounting, finance and marketing classes.
    via Certain_Host9401
  • tylersixxfive Just gonna say... you do realize pretty much every company has a social media person now
    via tylersixxfive
  • Grouchy Candle_24... Digital content creation is not a degree in TikTok if that's what you think
    via Grouchy Candle_24
  • No-Information-6099 That's just a type of Communications degree. 'Content Creation' sounds like mumbo jumbo to GenXers like me, but it's a real job and just as marketable as a traditional Comms degree.
    via No-Information-6099
  • JustAnotherK8Lady I'm an academic advisor so I've got some notes for you Digital Content Creation sounds like a concentration of a communications major
    via JustAnotherK8Lady
  • A program like that would make your daughter very competitive in marketing as communication is a common major alternative for those that don't want to drink the MBA kool aid
    via JustAnotherK8Lady
  • Goonacles You realize a lot of companies hire people who specialize in social media right? It's a very realistic job to attain.
    via Goonacles
  • ragingfather42069. I'm your age and our mindset is different. That degree is way helpful in the future probably. And she's your kid, help her while she needs it.
    via ragingfather42069
  • benwinnner • You are using your money to try to control your daughter. Yes you are the AH. Her major is likely communications refined. Reflect, are you controlling in other ways as well?
    via benwinnner
  • ThealaSildorian ⚫ YTA. Before getting upset you should have taken time to find out what this major actually is. It's not about her making a living with Tik Tok videos. It's about all
    via ThealaSildorian
  • aspects of digital film creation, web design, a bunch of stuff. This is not a major in becoming an influencer. This is a major about the tools influencers ... and major advertisers ... use, how to use them, how to make a living using them.
    via ThealaSildorian
  • Her intro courses focus on things she already likes to do. It'll get harder and more tedious later. It may not be what she ... and def isn't what you ... think.
    via ThealaSildorian
  • However, the basic skills transfer to many other fields in the entertainment industry, advertising, marketing, etc so if she's good at it, she can make a good living doing this.
    via ThealaSildorian

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