*not just* But it IS increasing. I’ve been teaching since 2009. The problem is substantially more pronounced now than it ever was, and it began getting worse in 2021-22 when all students returned from remote learning. It’s not the lockdowns. It’s the synergy of virus-induced neurological conditions and unprocessed trauma and grief that will haunt everyone until they’re dead.

A Pattern I Can’t Ignore Anymore. For the past three years, I’ve seen the same scenario play out—over and over, and it’s only getting worse. A student starts missing assignments.
I send a check-in.
I offer flexibility, a meeting, support.
Weeks go by. They resurface—apologetic, citing health or mental health issues.
I respond with compassion. I extend deadlines. I make a plan.
They thank me…
And then… they vanish.
Or miss more.
Or book a meeting they never attend.
Maybe they try one more time.
Maybe they don’t.
And then they’re gone. This isn’t laziness. It’s not entitlement.
It’s something bigger. Something systemic.
Call it burnout. Call it a mass disabling event. Call it post-viral sequelae.
But don’t call it normal. If this isn’t the aftermath of COVID, I don’t know what is. I know this pattern is playing out not just in higher ed, but in healthcare, K-12 schools, the workplace.
If you’ve seen it too—in your field, your family, your life—I’d love to hear from you. Because we can’t fix what we keep pretending is just an individual failing.

Hey @Apple @tim_cook:
The next Apple Watch should do more than track health—it should protect it. Add real-time air quality sensors to detect airborne threats like viruses & pollution. A billion wrists measuring air = A global movement for clean air. Because what we breathe matters. #ThinkDifferent #BreatheEasy