There's an underlying stigma associated with being a responsible student. In the ruthless world of youth, their peers who choose to excel in academics are seen as "freaks and geeks". They are deemed as outcasts and supposedly, it's uncool to be a part of that group. It still exists today and for this reason, more and more students are choosing to drop out instead of pursuing higher studies.
When these young people aspire to have higher social status rather than get higher grades, it's undeniable that they could never be more wrong. Unfortunately, logical reasoning seems to be an alien concept for most of them.
These geeks they cruelly label as losers will someday become their own bosses. It's tough to break into the system when mass media choose to show exactly the opposite. Sadly, the movies and t.v. shows of today are forcing children to think that beauty and talent alone can make you successful. When misinformation makes its way into the young malleable minds of these kids, then it just reinforces those wrong ideas.
Get a reality check for a minute. Have you ever seen people cheer louder for the national spelling bee team compared to the high school football team? I don't think so.
OK, so there may be a handful of schools out there who take pride on their smart students compared to the jocks and beauty queens, but in most cases, it's completely the opposite. There's a somewhat misguided notion going around which focuses on the glory of superficial achievements rather than the activities which could actually make a difference in the world. No wonder most teenagers don't want to study anymore but instead would rather hit the gym or the salon (whichever the case may be).
As they continue through this route, some would probably succeed, but there would be many who would regret not being more focused on their studies when they were younger. These regrets and guilt will eventually follow them through adulthood. This failure of realization bears fruit to such things as unemployment, early parenthood, and a lack of direction in life.
It is therefore imperative for parents to inculcate and nurture the "love of learning" to their children. You should start them early on so they grow up to become well-rounded individuals. Of course, these kids are still free to pursue different hobbies/sports and improve on their talents but at the end of the day, these children should never forget the true value of a good education.