In the social media world, where anybody can find and promote just about anything on a smartphone at the click of a button, a focus on activism puts pressure on college students. Young voices, like Greta Thunberg, are plastered across social media whenever you search “climate change activism” or other social movements. This places too much pressure on students to be political.

Being pressured to choose a side or decide on a controversial topic can take its toll on anybody, especially a college student. There is already so much pressure to get good grades, build a resume, complete good internships or apply for jobs or graduate schools early.

The pressure from seeing younger activists popularized on social media might be overwhelming for college students. Feelings of defeat, discouragement or unworthiness might occur after seeing such posts. Students feel pressured to try to do things themselves to make social change, while that practice is not for everyone. 

The lack of privacy and respect from participating in a public social media platform is not appealing to some students. While some young people will push the political boundaries of social movements, others might never enter that area of life.

People are entitled to their own beliefs, political or not. Controversial topics receive much backlash from opposing sides, making it difficult for students to want to speak out for their beliefs. Many students will just quietly keep their beliefs to themselves for safety and privacy.

One example of activism that Augustana pressures students to do is voting. Voting is a right, not a requirement, for students or anybody. The pressure to vote without sufficient information about candidates or issues is not okay. There could be a skew in election results that came from voters who just follow the status quo of who they “should” vote for, rather than who they truly believe in voting for. Helping students far from home know basic information such as mall-in ballot deadlines is the extent of what colleges should be pressuring students with if they choose to vote.

There is sometimes pressure for students to be politically active with an emphasis on only one side of politics, giving a lack of effort to provide students with accurate information for all sides. A more even promotion of all political parties would benefit students whose first-time voting might be approaching. Being politically active is a new experience for many students and Augustana should not pressure students to do so.

Being pressured to choose a side or decide on a controversial topic can take its toll on anybody, especially a college student. There is already so much pressure to get good grades, build a resume, complete good internships or apply for jobs or graduate schools early. Adding the push to participate in activism can be the breaking point for some students. The hate from opposing opinions or sides can cause a great divide, making many students not want to publicly state their political affiliations.

In today’s world, I think it is wrong to pressure students to be activists. In addition to the stresses many college students face, the pressure students feel from social media and school to be politically active is overwhelming. Students may be unable to cope with this pressure or receive backlash from sharing their political opinions, causing a decline in their mental health. It is clear the pressure to be politically active poses a risk to students’ mental health and there should be less of a focus on activism at a young age.