Thank you good sir for the genuine laugh

Yes, and it’s not a new thing. It is not unusual to go to mandatory military service and come back with permanent injuries or trauma. The only official way to avoid getting there is studying. Therefore there is such an inflation of students in whatever field. Most surreal for me was always the following: after you graduate (e.g. from school) you are “vulnerable” until you are enrolled into a university, so they try to get into anything asap. And sometimes the military guys are waiting at the graduation event, to scoop you up before you can even leave the building.

I’m rather certain that a good chunk has no clue about any algorithms and just beliefs that their point of view reflects reality

If somebody would ask for a source it would already be a big improvement. Usually you are just classified as idiot if you dare to have a different view.

I find it increasingly hard to find decent stuff without that.

Are you a Disney princess?