Bored middle school students sitting in a traditional classroom, showing signs of disengagement and lack of motivation. The photorealistic image depicts teens slouched at their desks under fluorescent lights, reflecting the teen disengagement crisis in education.

This photorealistic image shows a diverse group of middle school students sitting in a conventional classroom with rows of desks and fluorescent lighting. Many students show signs of academic disengagement—slouching, gazing off, or leaning on their hands—symbolizing a broader trend of declining student motivation highlighted in recent studies and education journalism, including The Atlantic’s article “The Teen-Disengagement Crisis.”