We tell teenagers it's "power". Celebrities go on television and tell kids on small spots that studying is a quick road to empowerment.

The problem with power is that it's an abstract concept. It's not as concrete as it could be, and it's very difficult for a teenager to discern from that message exactly what they stand to gain by trying harder in school.

Here's what I've learned: more knowledge means less of a chance that you have to ask for someone else's permission to do something. The less you rely on others, the more you can do whatever you want. I'm glad that I'm a web developer, because if I need to build a website, I can just go ahead and do it. Much less stands in my way.

Empowerment, then, is about the ability to skirt authority. If you frame the message in those terms, you'd have a pretty easy time convincing students they should study harder.