The most useful assignment I’ve ever had was for a public speaking class last spring. We were asked to discuss the biggest problem in the world today and how to solve it.
Daunted, the general consensus of the class was that we lacked the perspective to speak eloquently about such matters and felt unqualified to diagnose solutions. A few students, in light of our befuddlement, chose to speak about apathy.
I used to think discussing apathy was counterproductive – why waste time talking about the fact that students don’t care, when you can use that opportunity to make students care? But apathy, like a psychological disorder, is not instantly cureable. You must first understand the root of the behavior before you can prompt change.
We have grown up with more access to information than any other generation, but the global information network, instead of making us more informed and proactive, has simply resulted in information overload. It’s easy to feel defeated by how much we don’t know. Others are products of selective attention and have developed mental filters that focus only on immediate concerns.
The information-gathering process itself has become an independent endeavor, so it’s easy to feel isolated from what lies at the other end of the computer. Gone are the days when students become politically aware through activism and rallies. While many students read the news and debate issues among friends, when it comes to public forums, it’s often the same few students taking part in the discussion. Those without a formal knowledge base in the topic often lack the confidence to ask questions or voice what might be imperfect opinions.
Also, as we enjoy instant information, we have come to expect instant solutions, and are averse to more challenging efforts. Breaking through the bureaucracy of a national government, a university and even a city council, seem like impossible tasks. NU students are aware of everything from the midnight drinking ban and violence on campus to religious conflict in the Middle East and 25 million people with AIDS in Africa. But when efforts to affect small changes close to home are futile, the prospect of tackling a larger problem far away seems dismal.
Our generation has been misdiagnosed. Apathy connotes lack of interest and indifference. This is not the problem at all. Rather, this combination of information overload, isolation and powerlessness makes us more likely to accept problems as facts of life. Activism in its independent spirit, “damn the man” sense is dying, so perhaps it’s time for more institutional support of what activists gone by stood for – social awareness and responsibility – across all disciplines.
If every college student were asked to solve the world’s greatest problem before graduation, the results would surely prove insightful, passionate, eye-opening, and anything but apathetic.
Amanda Junker is a Medill senior. She can be reached at [email protected].