What causes student apathy?

CaptivateExec · What causes student apathy?

Before we can begin to examine how we as student journalists can play our part in dispelling student apathy, I think we should unpack the causes of student apathy...

I had an interesting conversation with one of my media studies lecturers last year about student apathy. She pointed out that we don't have a common enemy to fight and unite against anymore and thats why students are apathetic. My argument to that is that, yes we don't have "a common enemy" as such anymore, but we do have other issues which are threatening the youth of this country that we can unite against- such as HIV/Aids, crime and (political) apathy itself.

Possible reasons then for this surge of apathy amongst university students, a body of youth which used to be the most organised in South Africa, are two-fold: one is social standing, middle class indifference and the other is the fact that there is disillusionment and divisions within the student body itself.

What do you think causes student apathy on your campus?