I mean , if you say so . Meanwhile this whole article is about how the Dems should focus on the economyas though the people who voted for Trump actually gave a shit about any economic policy proposals that weren ' t sunshine and fucking unicorns . <| sep |> What has the world come to when you might honestly be better off not going to college ? Understanding the economics behind education is really important . The typical narrative is that if human capital improvement , the idea that going to school makes you a more productive workers , which results in higher wages . However , if it turns out that college is actually signaling , then it ' s only a filter that shows employers which workers are more productive to begin with . In this case , increased education has a negative externality because it makes it harder for one person to stand out . It ' s like standing up at a concert good if you do it , useless if everyone does it . My point is that if your understanding of college incorporates both models , it ' s not really a surprise at all .