Ted Underwood
I’m skeptical of “declining standards” stories. My theory is that smartphones/soc media have given young people a direct access to the world that my generation never had. They see peers becoming influencers, boasting about internships, &c. School is not the only place to put aspiration. + https://www.harvardmagazine.com/node/85660
AWOL from Academics | Harvard Magazine

Behind students' increasing pull toward extracurriculars

Harvard Magazine
Mar 30, 2024 at 2:04pmWeb
Show threadTed UnderwoodMar 30, 2024
If you went to college in the late 90s,
with internet, you may be like “nah, not much has changed.”

But I’m ancient enough to remember a time when going to a SLAC could mean four years in a tiny town with almost no media consumption. Wars happened and I didn’t notice. I knew nothing about career paths, wasn’t paying attention to contemporary tech. My whole model of self-improvement was to read Wittgenstein & study Greek. It’s kind of lovely, but it required immense naïveté.
Show threadMark McGurlMar 30, 2024
I wonder whether her account also holds for Harvard STEM students. What she describes seems specific to classes centered on reading and writing, not relatively merciless problem sets and exams.
Show threadTed UnderwoodMar 30, 2024
I teach a bit across both types of courses, and i think you’re probably right.
Show threadWenyi ShangMar 31, 2024
@tedunderwoodillinois This story is new to me. In China, the dramatic increase in college enrollment rates and exposure to media happened simultaneously. In my parents' generation, being admitted to *any* college was a great achievement likely celebrated by the entire village (yes the urbanization also took place during the same period).
Show threadWenyi ShangMar 31, 2024
@tedunderwoodillinois Therefore, it's enlightening for me to discover what happened to the top college students before the mass media explosion. And the idea of the "whole model of self-improvement was to read Wittgenstein & study Greek" sounds incredibly admirable. I sincerely hope to have spent my college life in a similar manner.
Show threadTed UnderwoodMar 31, 2024

@WenyiShang @tedunderwoodillinois Interesting! Yes, it was a somewhat monastic experience, especially because small colleges in the US are often in remote locations.

But I also really think students today are better informed.