Beyond the Title: Why Society Must Rethink Prestige in the Age of Digital Education
In many societies, the title “Dr.” still carries strong emotional weight. People often rank medical doctors above PhD holders, and doctorates from traditional universities above those earned from professional, private, digital, or faith-based institutions. Accreditation status is frequently used as a quick way to judge intelligence, credibility, and social value. From a psychological point of view, this way of thinking is no longer helpful - and may even be harmful - especially as digital education continues to grow. Why Humans Create Prestige Hierarchies Social psychology shows that humans naturally create hierarchies to make sense of the world. According to Social Identity Theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1979), people attach their self-worth to groups they belong to - such as prestigious universities or accredited academic systems. When a group is challenged, members often react defensively. Academic titles and institutions act as mental shortcuts , also known as heuristics (Tversky ...