Despite how much educators enjoy scapegoating AI for impairing modern learning, the role that AI plays is overstated.
Specifically, the deeper issue is psychological, lying within the worldview of adolescents, which translates directly to their interpretation of the value of education. As reports demonstrate that youth cynicism is trending upward, the rise in adolescent indifference can be attributed to factors such as a constant overexposure to media, possibly leading to compassion fatigue. In education, student engagement has begun to decline, with the term “student apathy” being coined to describe the lack of interest shown in classrooms. Worse yet, this disinterest is only being compounded by a feedback loop where students see peers becoming disillusioned with learning and view it as the new norm.
Devastatingly, it can lead to choices such as actively lying about how much effort students put into learning. However, this could be only a symptom of a deeper problem: fear. Simply put, the idea that effort is bad can be tied to various fears, such as fear of vulnerability, fear of judgment, fear of incompetence, among others. Lies such as claiming to have not studied before a test serve as a way to cope with poor results before they even see the exam. By doing so, students avoid the negative feelings associated with said poor results, shielding themselves from disappointment. Alternatively, students could also use these lies as a way of trying to seem more intelligent — by putting in less effort to achieve strong results, they seem to learn things faster than others, thus seeming more intelligent. Even though these reasons seem childish, students are often blinded by the pressure to succeed from peers, parents, and themselves. Consequently, they will do their best to appear as successful despite how extra it is.
Unfortunately, this mentality poses serious threats to students and their peers. By downplaying their own effort, students aren’t just denying themselves recognition of their work, but they are also actively harming others. More specifically, this attitude leads to a belief that other people are able to do the same level of work whereas they have to put in hours of effort, causing students to feel like frauds despite their achievements. This phenomenon is termed imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome exacerbates the stresses related to school, leading to anxiety, burnout, and low self-esteem. On the other hand, the impacts extend beyond school; in fact, it is a universal fear of being exposed as a fraud wherever they are. Thankfully, imposter syndrome, albeit deeply ingrained, can be overcome by tracking small wins, the opposite of how students are treating learning right now.
Shifting students’ mindset around learning is extremely difficult, but it’s a necessary step to foster a more inclusive environment where students are able to take pride in their work. Every person learns and does things at their own pace, and that’s perfectly fine. You are your own greatest competition, so work hard to beat every old version of yourself. Be chalant.