St. Cloud State student: Why are today's young people such slackers?

Hannah Swift of St. Cloud State's University Chronicle complains about how her fellow students don't seem to have a work ethic:

Showing up late for shifts, not being accountable for their share of the work, and trying to find the easiest way to get something done are all common examples of the general “slacker” attitude of my generation.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.

It's all about just doing the minimum:

Another reason more people are seem to be slacking when it comes to doing work is a trend which has been dubbed “work smart.” The idea behind working smart is not necessarily always reaching the highest level in quality of work, but rather finding the easiest and fastest way to achieve an acceptable output of work.

An older "nontraditional" student replies that we should blame it on human nature -- and perhaps a little coddling:

College age kids are often required to get a job anywhere they can to satisfy their parents demands in order to keep allowances coming in. This would explain why they don’t initially care what quality of work they deliver as long as they can prove employment. Those that need the money are often more responsible in their work habits, but not always. Most I have worked with will justify skipping work to attend a concert or gathering if that is what they truly had their sights set on, thinking they can justify their behavior when confronted.

As to the aspect of doing quantity over quality, I can understand your gripes, but it is human nature, I believe, to get things done as easily as possible. I know this isn’t the best answer but I remember a physics professor I once had explaining that electrons will go with the path of least resistance, much like us, his students.