Today I read an article called, 'On Campus: Author Discusses the "Cheating Culture" With College Students', by David Callahan. I would like to take a minute to discuss Callahan's article, and explain why it's been eating at me since I read it this morning.
Callahan wrote this article in 2006, and although it may not feel like it, that was 12 years ago.
Callahan makes it clear that his audience is college undergraduate students. He states that academic cheating is a serious problem, but that he has no expectation for previous generation to change their opinion toward it. Instead he states that cheating is a symptom of a much larger problem in America, and that the buck stops with the next generation. He compares college student ideals in the 1960s to college students in 2006. His tone makes it clear that he admires those from the '60s college era. He brushes over those who went to college in the 1980s- an entire generation between the two. Isn't it well known that people are at large a product of their parents and upbringing? If so, then why is he failing to discuss the generation that raised these college students?
Callahan states that his book on cheating culture was receiving a lot of attention in 2006. He spoke of being invited to universities to speak on the topic.
Let me ask: What were the age demographics of his book consumers, and of those who asked him to come speak? Were they those who went to college in the '60s and at large believed that college was the place to develop a life philosophy? Or, was it instead those who went to college in the '80s and raised their children to believe that college was the singular most important thing, for the purpose of never having to struggle financially.
What I find most interesting, is that Callahan himself was part of the generation that attended college in the '80s. When Callahan stated that he doesn't expect the previous generation to change their ways, he's speaking of his own. He presents the idea that money isn't everything, and getting into a college should never be worth cheating. He argues that it doesn't matter if classmates are getting better GPAs due to cheating. He argues that living an honest life comfortably is better than being wealthy but dishonest. I'm sure it's easier to judge this generation, when he himself did not raise a child who would have been in college in the 2000s. Yes, his suggestions are great, but they are so far removed from the audience he is speaking to, and largely unrealistic. He doesn't seem to understand the level of competition that goes into present-day schooling, or that one cannot be assured that they will live a comfortable life unless they do attend college.
No, people who make upwards of $200k a year are not happier people. However, those making less than $40k a year aren't as happy as those making what a college educated individual are.
The stakes are high.
Callahan believes that cheating is not an "us versus them" problem, due to the fact that the prevalence rate is so high. But, has he considered where the tipping point lies? If there wasn't cheating in the top of the class, the remainder of the students wouldn't have followed in order to keep up. But, why is the top of the class cheating in the first place? They feel a sense of pressure from their parents: if they want to get into a good school they must take all AP courses, be on a sports team, have a job, be in Student Government, and actively volunteer. I believe those who went to college in the 2000s were some of the first to have it shoved down their throats at the rate is has been in the past decade. Anxiety is the number one mental illness reported in adolescents, and it is on the rise. I wonder why.
So, what's my point? My point is, it's been 12 years since he wrote this, and we are nowhere near there yet.
I read this as a college undergrad, and all I could think was, "There's no way cheating prevalence is finished increasing". It is going to get so much worse before it swings back around. Why? Because students feel that there is an extremely low chance of getting into the college of their choice just by doing their best. Students at the top of their class who cheated had high GPAs and received lots of scholarships. And those who just "tried their best" and worked hard to stay honest didn't get either. The standards for getting into college are increasing every year, still. Cheating will not decrease until the children who are at the top of their class feel confident that they are good enough to succeed on their own.
We need to stop treating college like a deity, and start rewarding work ethic once again.
