I think there actually may be some of this. Both of my kids are in college right now, but I knew a lot of high school kids and their parents through the extracurriculars that my kids were involved in. The kids knew what the "hot" college majors were, including CS.

But they also knew the precise formula for college entrance, and were laser focused on getting into an "elite" school. Any activity that didn't contribute to that process was eschewed.