Female Influencers: The Economics behind the Millions

Abstract

While women comprise nearly 60% of all undergraduate students in the United States (Causey et al. 2023), they account for less than one-third of economics majors (Buckles 2019). There are few female role models in economics textbooks. When economists are mentioned in class, they are typically male. To help address this lack of diversity and engage female students, we present teaching guides based on four of the most popular female influencers among Gen Z students. Each guide highlights an influencer's backstory and business acumen. This paper builds on the work of Geerling et al. (2023b and 2023c) who use viral YouTube and TikTok videos to engage Gen Z students on their social media platforms of choice. This paper offers a unique opportunity for educators to teach foundation level economics concepts in a creative way while helping stimulate engagement among all students.

Keywords: diversity, foundation economics, Gen Z, inclusion, influencers, social media, teaching economics, TikTok, Addison Rae, Kylie Jenner, Olivia Dunne, Olivia Rodrigo

JEL Classification: A20, A21