Contemporary Apathy in America

[Auberean]

By Apathy I mean lack of motivation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today, many students are accused of being completely apathetic towards their own lives. Over approximately the last half-century, America has become less industrial and more service-based. This has led to more emphasis being placed on the importance of education. Influenced by a high undergraduate drop-out rate, colleges of higher education complain that students sent from high schools are too "immature" to handle the rigors of a college environment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you really believe that this is true? Are American students any more or less mature than they were in times past, and if so, how come?

[apinagez]

Personally, I blame MTV.

[Meesy]

Blame Canada?

[Astralinre]

In keeping with popular teen attitudes, I'm going to blame the entire problem on George Bush.

[mybrois15]

I believe that the problem is in the parents. They always complain how this or that is offensive. My rents tell me all the time how i have it better because i dont get the beat out of me at school like they did. :P if you were to put that back into school then it would make students more focused. Personally, im taking all honors classes and no lunch, but in order for me to graduate i have to take this 1 regular class. Believe you me, some of those kids are so unmotivated! I mean, i have a 137% in the class, i didnt know how that was possible, i only hand in half my work in that class anyways, and there are kids failing. :| apathy is definately taking its toll, but a little physical motivation might get them to 'wake up'. \

[Guest XplsvBam]

Blame Canada?

Hey I relish that remark! And by relish I don't mean dill, because a pickle is just a cuccumber that sold its soul to the devil and the devil is dill. I mean I enjoy that remark alot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

gusto: vigorous and enthusiastic enjoyment

[Viktorkrum77]

Blame Canada?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No, blame Brazil. :P

[Auberean]

I believe that the problem is in the parents. They always complain how this or that is offensive. My rents tell me all the time how i have it better because i dont get the beat out of me at school like they did. :P if you were to put that back into school then it would make students more focused. Personally, im taking all honors classes and no lunch, but in order for me to graduate i have to take this 1 regular class. Believe you me, some of those kids are so unmotivated! I mean, i have a 137% in the class, i didnt know how that was possible, i only hand in half my work in that class anyways, and there are kids failing. :| apathy is definately taking its toll, but a little physical motivation might get them to 'wake up'. \

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah, I can agree with some of that. I'd say that if students were beaten for not turning in homework, they'd certainly be more motivated to do so. Of course, then there would be allegations of abuse, and people would wonder if students were really doing it for their own intellectual good, and blah blah blah things like that can become very complicated, very quickly.

[Astralinre]

 

Blame Canada?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No, blame Brazil. :P

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blame Europe. All of it.

[apinagez]

 

Blame Canada?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No, blame Brazil. :P

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Didn't you consider Brazil teh sexy?

[Viktorkrum77]

 

 

Blame Canada?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No, blame Brazil. :P

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blame Europe. All of it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No, blaim China. Nuff said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blame Canada?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No, blame Brazil. :P

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Didn't you consider Brazil teh sexy?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, yeah the beaches are on fire! :P

[cardovilian]

Not mature enough? You think you have problems? In England, universities are complaining that their entrants aren't sufficiently literate or numerate!

[Auberean]

Hey now, there's a colored text thread for stuff like this.

[indy500fan]

I think pretty much everyone missed the point of Meesy's "Blame Canada" statement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/Unless it was just coincidence

 

 

 

//South Park ftw!

[Astralinre]

 

 

 

Blame Canada?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No, blame Brazil. :P

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blame Europe. All of it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No, blaim China. Nuff said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Agreed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ok, in all seriousness, I've also seen a problem with apathy in schools. I believe a large part of it comes from a lack of personal motivation. Students are no longer taught that there is any solid reason for education other than getting a job. Plenty of students either don't care about getting a good job or plan on having a good job that doesn't require education.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In short, I blame apathy on an improper view of education.

[Viktorkrum77]

I think pretty much everyone missed the point of Meesy's "Blame Canada" statement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/Unless it was just coincidence

 

 

 

//South Park ftw!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wouldn't know, because I don't watch South Park. *Runs and hides*

[incognito]

I think there lack of motivation is due to their lack of uniqueness. Who is going to care if we all have to take standardized tests, go to college, and be robots.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don't get me wrong college is amazing I just don't think being educated is for everyone.

[Adam007]

From my experience, kids are just too indifferent. If they hear about anyone doing something interesting or achieving some feat, their reaction is "oh my gosh, that guy must have a lot of free time," "he/she needs a life," "does this guy have any friends?" or something to basically insult his or her life's existence.

 

 

 

It's completely frowned upon to walk off the line of normalcy. A kid can be passionate about sports, music, or gossip. But science? No way. Then you're just weird.

[Auberean]

It seems like most people agree that we have a problem with this in our modern times. Do you think that this is a problem that stems from how children are raised by their parents, or do you think it has come from technological advances?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't think that the basic nature of human beings is different anywhere at anytime, but that people are different due to their surroundings. Parents aren't any better or worse today than they ever were, it is society that is bringing to us never-before-seen situations that we must adapt to. Anyone think the same?

[deloriagod]

We think we're more mature than we really are. At times I think I'm mature but then I think of a little competition (sexual) I had on Friday and relise there's no way I could be as mature as I thought. So maybe we're not mature enough for college, but we're the ones paying the bills!

[Giordano]

From my experience, kids are just too indifferent. If they hear about anyone doing something interesting or achieving some feat, their reaction is "oh my gosh, that guy must have a lot of free time," "he/she needs a life," "does this guy have any friends?" or something to basically insult his or her life's existence.

 

 

 

It's completely frowned upon to walk off the line of normalcy. A kid can be passionate about sports, music, or gossip. But science? No way. Then you're just weird.

 

 

 

Exactly =D> =D>

[Adam007]

It seems like most people agree that we have a problem with this in our modern times. Do you think that this is a problem that stems from how children are raised by their parents, or do you think it has come from technological advances?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't think that the basic nature of human beings is different anywhere at anytime, but that people are different due to their surroundings. Parents aren't any better or worse today than they ever were, it is society that is bringing to us never-before-seen situations that we must adapt to. Anyone think the same?

 

 

 

It's possible that we've just reached a new peak of laziness. And laziness leads to indifference/apathy, and in general not caring about things or putting effort into anything. Then instead of going into an interesting field where someone could discover something and change the world, the average American would prefer practicality.

 

 

 

"Just go to college and get a 4 year degree in business. I used to want to be a doctor, but I'd rather take the easy way out and start immediately making money."

 

 

 

In general, kids my age just want to be average. Anything diverting off of that is just seen as weird.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We think we're more mature than we really are. At times I think I'm mature but then I think of a little competition (sexual) I had on Friday and relise there's no way I could be as mature as I thought. So maybe we're not mature enough for college, but we're the ones paying the bills!

 

 

 

Could you rephrase that? It sounds like you're applying some random thing that's been going on with your relationship to this - which at least I can't make any connection with. You don't need to pull your recent relationship comparatively into everything. Unless I completely missed your point, in which case, sorry. I just don't see where a lack of maturity can relate to indifference. I could be a crazy kid who has no emotional development, who causes all kinds of trouble, but at least have some direction in life. At least care about something. The problem is kids don't care about anything other than relationships (like you), gossip, TV, video games, text messaging, watching movies, etc. That makes it pretty hard to segway from senior year in highschool to deciding in college that you want to go into a seemingly far away field like NASA or nanotechnology or something that will advance the world.

[Astralinre]

It seems like most people agree that we have a problem with this in our modern times. Do you think that this is a problem that stems from how children are raised by their parents, or do you think it has come from technological advances?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't think that the basic nature of human beings is different anywhere at anytime, but that people are different due to their surroundings. Parents aren't any better or worse today than they ever were, it is society that is bringing to us never-before-seen situations that we must adapt to. Anyone think the same?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I would agree that human nature always remains the same, and a huge part of human nature in our depravity. I believe the problem stems neither from parents nor technology, but from a worldview that doesn't deal with that depravity and does deny human purpose. If nothing is truly wrong with depravity, why not embrace all it entails, which for some includes sloth. If there is no purpose, why bother working hard to get nowhere?

[Auberean]

 

It seems like most people agree that we have a problem with this in our modern times. Do you think that this is a problem that stems from how children are raised by their parents, or do you think it has come from technological advances?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't think that the basic nature of human beings is different anywhere at anytime, but that people are different due to their surroundings. Parents aren't any better or worse today than they ever were, it is society that is bringing to us never-before-seen situations that we must adapt to. Anyone think the same?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I would agree that human nature always remains the same, and a huge part of human nature in our depravity. I believe the problem stems neither from parents nor technology, but from a worldview that doesn't deal with that depravity and does deny human purpose. If nothing is truly wrong with depravity, why not embrace all it entails, which for some includes sloth. If there is no purpose, why bother working hard to get nowhere?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I really like what you said right there, makes plenty of sense to me.

[deloriagod]

 

 

 

Could you rephrase that? It sounds like you're applying some random thing that's been going on with your relationship to this - which at least I can't make any connection with. You don't need to pull your recent relationship comparatively into everything. Unless I completely missed your point, in which case, sorry. I just don't see where a lack of maturity can relate to indifference. I could be a crazy kid who has no emotional development, who causes all kinds of trouble, but at least have some direction in life. At least care about something. The problem is kids don't care about anything.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm saying something I did on Friday proved to me just how immature me and those around me are. Also, there is one thing we care about.. Sex. Though there are a few other things I care about right now, I'm not doing anything to achieve them..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don't take anything I say right now too seriously.. I haven't slept much lately.