In these tumultuous times, it can seem like there isn’t much reason for kids to do well in school. The good jobs are hard to find, even with multiple degrees, and can’t ChatGPT do all of that boring thinking stuff for us now anyway? 

That being said, there is still one incentive that remains as powerful as ever, and that is doting relatives hoping to spoil their pride and joy because of their academic success. Whether it’s a new phone, a new car, or heck, even some property, a material prize gives many students more motivation than a diploma or acceptance into a particular college.

The downside of this kind of achievement-based reward is that if a kid doesn’t reach the level that others are hoping for, they probably aren’t going to get the rewards they were promised. It could be argued that this offers a life lesson, but not everybody sees it that way.