Contemporary Issues Affecting College Students

This week in my Digital Citizenship class we are discussing social issues and why they should be considered to be of importance to college students. I personally had little interest in political issues until my senior year of high school when the 2008 Presidential candidates commanded attention in my Government class. Five issues that stand out to me in particular are racism, LGBT rights, the increasing cost of education, abortion, and rape culture.

1. Racism – This issue has persisted for generations and shows little sign of being resolved any time soon. Here in the United States, personal prejudices against a race are merely the tip of the iceberg. Institutional racism (patterns of societal practices that favor one group over another on the basis of race) is a huge barrier for people of color that affects them as early as pre-school according to several studies, including this one reported by NPR. College students, especially those of color, should know about this because it is a sad reality that some students have unfair advantages over others and that the playing field is not even.
2. LGBT rights – Similar to racism, discrimination and prejudice against these groups will not be eliminated in the near future by any means. College students encounter LGBT students on a daily basis. The college campus is a renowned place for exposing students to people of all walks of life. On a larger scale, the LGBT movement is a striking parallel to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and ’60s. We are presented with groups of people that, in the simplest of terms, want to enjoy the rights granted to them by their country’s Constitution, rights that others take for granted.
3. Increasing Cost of Education – Perhaps the most relatable issue on the list for college students, the price of an education has essentially tripled over the past 40 years. Students are having to take out more loans and are graduating with crushing debt. If these trends continue, the cost of an education will seem to outweigh the benefits. To some students, it already does. In the event that we have generations of students that are no longer considering higher education, there would be a huge detriment to our country on several levels.
4. Abortion – The college environment has long been a place for young people to explore romantic and sexual possibilities, oftentimes with little regard to potential consequences. thus, abortion is an extremely important issue for students that will find themselves or someone that they care about, facing the reality of an unplanned pregnancy. The laws that are in place regarding abortion are challenged on a constant basis. Students should be aware of the status of proposed changes and how those changes will affect policy in the event that they find themselves in a situation where abortion is considered.
5. Rape Culture – An issue that is garnering more and more attention, particularly in association with colleges and universities, is rape culture. As stated before, college students are inclined to engage in sexual relationships, but research has shown that many of them, male and female alike, cannot properly consent or obtain consent from their partners because they simply don’t understand the concept. Institutions are becoming more proactive about combating this lack of knowledge by providing education to their students and investigating claims under laws including, but not limited to, Title IX. I personally, now that I have been educated on EXACTLY what consent is and isn’t, correct others when I come across conversations on the topic, and hopefully others will as well.