Summary
A high school teacher in Southern Oregon asked her sophomore class about their biggest dreams. Instead of aspiring to careers or education, many students said their dream was to win the lottery. The teacher observed this change over the last five years, connecting it to financial concerns and social media influences on students.
Key Facts
- The teacher's name is Kelly Gibson, and she has been teaching high school English for 28 years.
- Gibson runs an exercise at the start of the school year to learn about her students' dreams and aspirations.
- Recently, a significant number of her students expressed a desire to win the lottery as their biggest dream.
- In previous years, students often talked about going to college or getting internships.
- Gibson believes this change is linked to the economic challenges and pessimistic news young people are exposed to.
- Two-thirds of young Americans have thought about leaving the U.S., according to a survey by the American Psychological Association.
- Gibson uses TikTok to discuss her observations, noting that social media plays a role in how students perceive financial success.
- She expressed concern that financial worries are overshadowing students' broader dreams and aspirations.
