Sure, that can happen. OP wrote “secure a good academic job.” But I think lazy and unprepared students stretching their adolescence out on their parent’s dime,

Sure, that can happen. OP wrote “secure a good academic job.” But I think lazy and unprepared students stretching their adolescence out on their parent’s dime, or on loans they will struggle to repay, offers a better explanation overall. In my own field, programming, I have to work with expert beginners [1] who actively resist learning and mastery, and complain about the sometimes hard work and study needed. I don’t think that happens because employers try to make themselves look smart. An anecdote to illustrate. Years ago I worked with a project manager who had a business degree from a good school. He mentioned it fairly often. He had no imagination and seemed stuck on GANTT charts. I bought a bookshelf from him, went to his house to pick it up. He offered to include the books he had in boxes in his garage. He told me he hadn’t read anything since college, over a decade before. Can’t blame his professors for that. [1] https://daedtech.com/how-developers-stop-learning-rise-of-the-expert-beginner/ https://daedtech.com/how-developers-stop-learning-rise-of-th...