The Rise of Student Apathy

Recent studies indicate a rise in apathy among students, particularly in high school and college. 

A 2023 study by YR Media revealed that the number of Gen Z teens interested in pursuing a four-year college degree has decreased from 71% to 51%. They also found that the number of undergraduate students has declined from 15.4 million in Fall 2021 to 14.1 million in Spring 2023.

While some believe that the rise is due to certain events like COVID-19 or the growing tuition costs, Mark Hanebutt, a longtime professor here at UCO, believes these events only tell part of the story. “I’m not sure it’s apathy,” he said. “Maybe it’s more a lack of focus. My students today want high grades, but the diligence I’ve seen in the past isn’t always there.”

Hanebutt traces part of the problem to early education and parenting. “We seem more concerned with students’ feelings than their understanding of learning,” he explained. “They’re afraid to be wrong or talk in class, and many were raised in systems that reward participation over persistence.” 

He described this as a generational shift reinforced by “lawnmower parents” who remove problems instead of letting their child solve them on their own.

Another reason for the growing rise in apathy among students is the rise of AI. AI has become a large point of discussion, mainly on its ability to do potential jobs that others have spent years studying and creating a sense of unease in students. 

However, Hanebutt believes deeper issues lie in how education itself has changed. “We’ve turned schools into job-training centers instead of places that teach people how to think,” he said. 

“You must learn how to say, ok, if this problem is in my way, how do I solve it? Regardless of what they are confronted with in life, they can fit in, they can solve a problem, they can find a place to work, AI, or anything else.”

For Hanebutt, restoring passion and focus starts with a return to critical thinking instead of programs that focus on test-taking. 

“I wish the educational system would focus less on test-taking,” he said, “and more on teaching students how to think,” he said. “If you teach someone to think, they can adapt to anything—even AI.”