It would seem to always come down to money. Western economies have become so brutal these days that parents fear their children will be significantly less secur

It would seem to always come down to money. Western economies have become so brutal these days that parents fear their children will be significantly less secure than they were. And, since things like housing (everywhere) and healthcare (US) have the capacity to wipe one out, they see financial advancement as a way to set their children up with some degree of safety. For some immigrant communities, the memory of how hard it is to leave everything and start over is fresh, and the symptoms are the same. So, when you squeeze that tube, what comes out the end? An intense drive to put children through anything that might give them an edge. School excellence? It's a way to get to college. College? Its a way to get a job. Degree? Its a way to get a lucrative job. In the 90s everyone wanted an MBA or a law degree and the CS and math kids were ignored. Then the Internet happened and suddenly CS was the pathway to riches (it wasnt, but the perception was there). Then it was data science. Now its AI. I guarantee that theres a ten year old out there being made to learn about GANs. In parallel we have the giant mess that is the university sysrem. If college is the target for parents, colleges are woefully ill prepared. They vacillate on admission standards (exam based, or test blind?). They cant decide who they want (is is ok to let in mainly rich kids so that a few poors can get a free ride?) They cant decide between requiring hard thinking of their students and all opinions are valid freedom. And, more sympathetically, they could 10x their admission pool and still not meet demand. TL;DR the kids are factory employees on a pipeline they do not control.