Why are today's students unmotivated?

Of all of the comments I've read here, only one suggests that this *might* not be our fault. I have a huge lack of motivation and awful time management skills as a student. I spent my entire life thinking that this is an intrinsic flaw in my own character. Come to find out, at the beginning of my first semester of college, my teacher did a small poll. By a show of hands over SEVENTY-FIVE percent of students in my classroom had this same problem. With a common denominator like that how could there NOT be a common source? It's not the internet, it's not students feeling superior. Its the education system and the linear methods of learning they try to shove down students throat. For decades our children's childhoods have been stolen from them and given to the boards of education. A six month old is supposed to sucking his toes and learning to pick up his heaad, not doing flashcards. Learning is not linear. It's just not. Developmentally, some children are just not ready to learn how to read by five years old and we pressure them to learn it anyway causing them to get down and check out. And that IS NOT THEIR FAULT.

Hiya freymind, Seeing it that way if they think that they could learn more from the Internet than from a Teacher I suppose that they would feel inclined to think that they are superior in a way. But they are missing a point there that the Teacher will be able to teach them things that they themselves will miss out in their researching. A Teacher will set all the theme out well and teach it in different parts. So I ask myself what if they had to do an Exam and qualify on what they have learned on the Internet itself? How would they fair then? Teacher is there for a reason and even though they can learn things off the internet which is a good thing they cannot learn the wisdom of a Teacher who has much to give them and to show them how to go about things.

Not all students are unmotivated. Generally, I'm not an unmotivated student. I definitely wouldn't describe myself as one. I will admit that I've had my share of moments when I was unmotivated, but I think that this can happen to anyone whether or not you are a motivated person, generally speaking. I think that sometimes there are several different things that can make you feel unmotivated at times. Sometimes, it's just the work load, stress, anxiety, just to name a few.

First off, I honestly have to say that I think that there are some things that the students today are more proficient with than the teachers are. That is because of the massive increases that there have been in technology over the past several years. It is something that can be difficult for teachers (especially the more experienced ones) to keep up with. However, I also think that a problem comes into play with the fact that children do tend to think that they are better than everyone because of the influence of society.

The students are unmotivated in some classes because its not like the teachers are going to give them a great example to be motivated. Granted there are going to be many teachers who are quite motivated and it does not really matter, as there will be some students that are not going to care about school, no matter what. But still, its difficult(but not impossible) for a student to be unmotivated, when their teachers are paycheck zombies. I really also think that the unmotivated students are a byproduct of society in general. Everyone is lazy and lackluster. No one wants to do anything rather productive and are just waiting around for someone else to come up for a solution. Unfortunately that is not going to change any time soon with the rate the world is going and is going to get much worse before it gets better. Well I do hope that there are some reforms to get students more motivated and teachers as well.

I would say it's the internet that changed their mindset. With the current generation, the heavy usage of internet, they are able to search for whatever they need and they actuall believe in what they get. However, most students do not know that half of the results they get from searches, are often fake. They might boast about being smarter than teachers, but when it comes to exams, the ones to suffer will always be the students as they can't differentiate, what's right and wrong.

Well I think it's both and it's also older siblings or older children that they see this from. Children learn from everyone that is older than they are. It's the same as trying to get kids to eat something new. If you say don't like it chances are your child will not try it. Kids need top learn to love school from a young age and need to be encouraged on a regular basis otherwise things get unappealing to them.

may be its a reality.May be they are smarter than their teacher and if they are leaning from internet thats a good things actually.Self leaning is best way of learning.

I think this is the cause of old teaching methods that are getting obsolete with how fast technology is. That today's students are learning ways to cope, but not necessarily inside a classroom. Unfortunately, the grading system is still based on the archaic way. So when teachers look at it, they only see laziness, and they immediately categorize it as unmotivated. When in reality, the student may just bored.

What can we say its younger generation..............it has to be faster then us....Its not that everyone of these generation use internet to do some social networking but some of them use this world of internet to get some information for there study and some use them to sharp there mind.......its their way of using internet....When I was in school I don't have any idea about computer or internet but students of now day use internet and computer like toys..........

I perfectly understand, my daughters are like that... they are too lazy to even hold a book. If you want them to read, better give them an e-book, they are too fascinated with technology.

I don't understand why either. Myself, I would rather be playing video games and being lazy too, but I know that my education is EXTREMELY important... so I refrain. When I hear students complaining about how they are smarter than their teachers, I just think they are ignorant. Just because a person grew up in a different period and doesn't know certain things doesn't mean you are smarter than them. Students should look at it this way: The teacher makes money, they don't. Whose the smarter one?

Not all students are unmotivated. Many students are motivated to succeed. I believe this all lies on the association the person is around. If a person is around people who doesn't like to study, then he or she will not study either. If a person is around people who study, then he or she will study. Best thing to get an unmotivated person around motivated people cause association is the key to everything. But you also have to understand that just because he or she is around motivated people doesn't mean they will get motivated. That person have to find his own motivation. No one can motivate you except yourself. You are the only one who can find what it is that motivates you.

What I am feeling is the same as you. Many today's students are unmotivated, which includs many people I know. I think it maybe due to the complicated society which is full of enticing and they are not treated to have a strong judgment. Then what they think they like maybe not what they really like and what they want isn't what they really want.

I think there is a trend like that to all and the kids are becoming more and more spoiled because we can get anything we want. Nobody really 'suffers' anymore to know what things to strive for. You can be a celebrity on facebook and that's it.. it's all about how popular you can be. I think it's really sad.

Well it all boils down to technology, the evolution and advancement of technology. With technology, everything becomes so convenient and like what you've said, information can be found on the net with a breeze. It just takes a couple of seconds to search for that information. Yea, I also agree that the way the parents teach them has some impact on them. It's kind of different now. Youngsters nowadays love to Facebook and twitter and nothing else bothers them. If you tell them to read more books, they will reply, "let me finish my facebook first or even worst, empty promise, ". So, I think to let these youngsters get motivated, is to first start with the parents, tell them to encourage their youngsters to study more and not be complacent just because they think they can find information easily on then net. The internet is one thing but internet and books cannot be linked together. There are so many books in the world and it's a vast pool of information out there especially the library. It would be better if they could enhance their knowledge there.

Majority of the young minds are in peer pressure. Majority of the students are unmotivated, they are going and coming like a robot. They are just following the instructions of their parents and institution. The student have a right to think, have a right to express his feelings freely, He/she have a right to explore their thoughts, Have a right to dream. But because of the pressure only they are not shining well. I am wishing the students that "you can do anything, the future is ours, we have to better things for the society. We have to help the poor people. For that we have to work hard, we no need to get inspired by others, We will be like an inspiration to others". Have a nice day, God bless you.

One such answer I have which exists in my case. At times I'm unmotivated as a student down to the fact of knowing that my whole lecture is in fact up on an electronic blackboard which I have access to throughout the whole year. Having such a feature as a student is good if you've missed a day but if you go to a lecture and get a teacher or lecturer that reads straight off from a power point... etc then you can't help but thinking how I you could learn such things from the comfort of your own home. Another factor I consider is fear, believe it or not many students don't know what there going to do with their education with the constant talk of the lack of employment across the world which leads to fear of studying for nothing. As for facebook and Twitter all such things are constant distractions to students with low concentration which appears as lack of motivation to do their work. But can you yourself say their hasn't been a time where you've put something off because you can't be bothered or don't feel in the mood to complete a task?