> For this to work, the majority of people thinking of attending college would need to have an aversion to sharing physical space with others. Or it's cheaper

> For this to work, the majority of people thinking of attending college would need to have an aversion to sharing physical space with others. Or it's cheaper and more convenient. Like online shopping. > their parents might derive positive utility from increased socialization of their child I think college is less necessary for this. I have friends who didn't go to college. They're fine. > external structure is often needed to motivate productivity I think for most getting a job is enough of a motivating factor. > but why doesn't anyone just do that for four years, and then go out and get a job? Eventually the necessity for credentials will morph into assessments or accepted online credentials. > but the rest of the world doesn't have that ability to manipulate their field of study from first principles in an interactive environment. I would argue that "rest of the world" get's smaller every day. If you're a doctor their are probably a ton of classes that could be done all online.