This post could be considered a sequel to my previous post Ed Zitron's excellent article
I am avoiding mention of specific incidents to preserve anonymity, so I will by necessity speak in generalities, but of course there are still engaged, conscientious and diligent students, and not all hope is lost. If you are a student of mine reading this, I most probably consider you part of this hopeful set.
Introductory programming of the kind we teach in Programming as Problem Solving Oskar
This indifference towards gaining mastery of skills also seems to generalise to their human connections. When I wrote about the Engagement Crisis in Teaching
I think COVID certainly didn't help, but a lot of this is because of the rise of whatever
I don't know how to conclude this. All that I can hope is that young people resist the pressures of the age and forge themselves into well-rounded, authentic human beings. Here are some ideas on how to do this:
Learn a skill. Learn to speak another language, learn to program computers, make art, write poetry, do mathematical problems, build furniture, make films, learn a musical instrument, sing a song. Whatever you enjoy doing, just incrementally develop your skills. It's fine if you're bad at it – everyone is at first.
Go outside. Connect with people who you can see in person on a regular basis. Join a local group with shared interests. Go to class! Or at least go to the bar on campus during class time.
Forge human connections in person. Talk to people, even people with whom you disagree or those who are in a different place in life than you are. I have met many such people from church, but people are everywhere. Social media is not a substitute for this.
Get a hobby. Don't do it just to share it with other people. Do it for yourself. Give yourself a source of fulfilment that doesn't come from outside.