"They are not raising children so much as living resumes, and by the time high school arrives, the kids have learned to sign up for activities strictly to impress college admissions committees, ignoring (or, eventually, losing sight of) what they personally find interesting in the here-and-now. They have acquired the habit of asking teachers, "Do we need to know this?"--rather than, say, "What does this mean?"--as they grimly set about the business of trying to ratchet up their GPA or squeeze out another few points on the SAT."