10 Taylor Swift as Educator

Taylor Swift’s massive popularity has made the singer-songwriter the subject of many events and gatherings. Several headlines have advertised Swift-centered higher education classes, including an “All To Well (Ten Week Version)” class at Stanford University, which analyzes Swift’s 10-minute song “All Too Well” (Grow, 2023); a “Taylor Swift and Her World” class at Harvard University that studies Swift’s songs in relation to classic literature (Tropiano, 2023); a “Psychology of Taylor Swift” class at Arizona State University, which studies psychological phenomena relating to Swift (Zonarich, 2024); and a “Taylor Swift Studies” class at Weber State University, which aligns Swift with cultural and literary studies (Kokesh, 2024).

The implementation of Swift-centered academic courses is the beginning of a cultural shift in which institutions of higher education are attempting to engage with students through their interests. With over 26.1 billion Spotify streams across the globe in 2023, Swift is an artist popular enough to bring interest to the classroom (Goldrick, 2023). Catering to college students’ interests by using those interests as a learning tool is an innovative way of approaching subject matter in the classroom. Survey data studying Gen Z and their attention spans found that they are reading less, likely “due to the short attention span that new media seem to encourage” (Twenge, 2017, p. 81.) When Zoomers are less likely to sit down to read textbooks, educators adapt their teaching methods to be more engaging and relevant to new technologies. In colleges, which are currently dominated by Zoomers between the ages of 18 and 25 according to the latest United States Census, new practices are being used to keep students interested. This includes inventive subject matter, which is seen with Swift as the subject of courses in many fields and departments.

Instead of heavy reading and lectures, professors have begun “toggling among lecture, discussion, videos, and demonstrations” in order to engage with Gen Z (Twenge, p. 369). With the rapid technological advancements Zoomers are living through, traditional textbooks might seem like an outdated way of learning compared to podcasts or videos. This does not negate the importance of reading comprehension and media literacy—in fact, using other forms of media as primary sources for the classroom might increase the effectiveness of teaching media literacy. Analyzing a Taylor Swift music video or lyrics from her songs are exercises in media literacy across different formats that contribute to a more well-rounded education.

The presence of Swift-themed classes in higher education is a shift ushered in by pop culture studies. Weber State University’s class is specifically designed to be more appealing to students, per Associate Professor Emily January, who stated, “I think a lot of what’s happening in higher education is that we’re having to not only connect to the students in class, but we need to entice them to enroll in the first place… If we’re giving them this with something they’re already familiar with, then we give them the power to learn and educate themselves about the deeper issues that surround those beloved topics” (Kokesh, 2024). Outside of the classroom, Weber State University hosted a Swift-themed spin class to draw more students into their campus recreation space for free exercise.

Swift’s cultural impact makes her relevant in higher education, and the NFL is another example of where Swift’s influence has been felt. When she began dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, the NFL was able to tap into the demographic of Swift fans, who are primarily women. Viewership ratings and ticket prices skyrocketed when Swift began attending Chiefs games, according to several reports collected by Forbes (Adgate, 2023). NBC reported a Jets v. Chiefs viewership increase of 53% in teen girls aged 12 to 17 and a 23% increase in women aged 18 to 24 (Adgate), solidifying the presence of Gen Z in Swift’s fandom. The Swifties’ newfound interest in the NFL shifted American sports culture. While football is enjoyed by Americans of different genders across the nation, Swift has become the NFL’s ticket to increasing female engagement with the male-driven sport. Such engagement has also changed Kelce’s brother’s experience with fans. Jason Kelce, a former center for the Philadelphia Eagles, shared on their New Heights podcast that “Before, it was mostly fat, hairy guys who’d recognize me. Now, it’s 12 to 14-year-old girls saying, ‘Oh my God! You’re Travis Kelce’s brother!” (“Jason Kelce Reveals,” 2024).

Another indication of Swift’s impact on culture is the emergence of Swift-themed events. Philadelphia saw an uptick in Swift-themed dance party events (Prihar, 2023), and there are many options for Swift-themed entertainment in Los Angeles (Len, 2023). A library in Dothan, Alabama, hosted a Swift night for individuals from ages 13 to 23 with trivia, crafts, and other Swift-centered activities (Boone, 2024). The library event was created specifically with Gen Z Swifties in mind (Boone, 2024). Because Swift’s fanbase is so large, using Swift as a theme for events like these is an effective way to boost engagement in communities and improve socialization practices within Gen Z. Data shows that “31% more 8th and 10th graders felt lonely in 2015 than in 2011” (Twenge, p. 116). Zoomers were already showing signs of being more susceptible to loneliness before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, as these numbers were published in 2017, three years before the shutdown of March 2020.

Loneliness in individuals has increased significantly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Overall, individuals in the Gen Z and Millennial groups self-reported more negative outcomes for perceived stress [and] loneliness” (Grelle et al., 2023, p. 385). Younger generations were more likely to report loneliness and the diagnosis rate of Major Depressive Disorder rose 44.5% in 2020 following the start of the pandemic (p. 385). With such a loneliness problem, communities and businesses must implement creative ways to encourage Zoomers to leave their homes. Swift is one solution, as the pop star has such loyal fans that going to Swift-themed events excites them and urges them to socialize.

Swift might indirectly contribute to a cultural reset regarding the loneliness epidemic due to these events. While businesses take the chance to capitalize off of Swift with dance party events, other entities are using Swift to get people involved in the library or exercise. Zoomers are more willing to get involved where they might not otherwise have been interested, because they know other attendees will have a common interest that will be a topic of conversation. These events might also be the beginning of a new cultural landscape in which pop culture figures and subjects beyond Swift are used by businesses and institutions to draw new interest from young people and encourage them to engage with and integrate into their communities. Engaging people in what they love is an effective way to build a business, create community, and teach college students about research, writing, and analysis.

References

Adgate, B. (4 October 2023). “The NFL (and Travis Kelce) Is Benefitting from the Taylor Swift Effect.” Forbes, Forbes Media. www.forbes.com/sites/bradadgate/2023/10/02/the-nfl-and-travis-kelce-is-benefitting-fro m-the-taylor-swift-effect/?sh=2592b3715f31.

Boone, S. C. (29 January 2024). “Are You Ready for It?’: Dothan Library Unites Swifties with Eras Tour-Inspired Event.” Dothan Eagle. www.dothaneagle.com/news/local/dothan-library-taylor-swift-eras-tour-event/article_dc5 f69c6-bbd8-11ee-95c0-bffcfec25390.html.

Goldrick, S. (29 November 2023). “The Top Songs, Artists, Podcasts, and Listening Trends of 2023 Revealed.” Spotify. newsroom.spotify.com/2023-11-29/top-songs-artists-podcasts-albums-trends-2023/

Grelle, K., Shrestha, N., Ximenes, M., Perrotte, J., Cordaro, M., Deason, R. G., & Howard, K. (2023). The Generation gap revisited: Generational Differences in Mental Health, Maladaptive coping behaviors, and pandemic-related concerns during the initial COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Adult Development, 30(4), 381-392.

Grow, K. (9 March 2023). “Think You Know Everything about Taylor Swift’s ‘All Too Well’? Now You Can Study It in College.” Rolling Stone. www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-all-too-well-stanford-class-123469 3707/.

“Jason Kelce Reveals How He is Treated by Taylor Swift Fans.” (12 June 2024). Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/entertainment/celebrity-news/jason-kelce-reveals-treatment-taylor-swift-fans-1912090

Kokesh, J. (26 February 2024).  “From ‘folklore’ to Finals: Weber State’s Taylor Swift-Themed English Class Hits All the Right Notes.” WSU Today, Weber State University. www.weber.edu/WSUToday/022624-taylor-swift-studies.html.

Len, S. (29 July 2023). “How to Experience Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour without Tickets in Los Angeles.” Secret Los Angeles, Secret Media Network. www.secretlosangeles.com/taylor-swift-eras-tour-to-do-la/.

Prihar, A. (26 October 2023). “Taylor Swift Dance Parties: A Booming Business in Philadelphia.” Billy Penn at WHYY. www.billypenn.com/2023/10/26/taylor-swift-dance-parties-booming-philadelphia/.

Tropiano, D. (10 August 2023). “A ‘Swift’ Approach to Learning Psychology,” ASU News, Arizona State University. news.asu.edu/20230809-creativity-swift-approach-learning-psychology.

Twenge, J. M. (2017). iGen: Why today’s super-connected kids are growing up less rebellious, more tolerant, less happy–and completely unprepared for adulthood–and what that means for the rest of us. Simon and Schuster.

Zonarich, E. (26 February 2024). “Inside Harvard’s Taylor Swift Class.” Harvard Gazette, Harvard University. news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2024/02/taylor-swift-the-wordsworth-of-our-time/.