As teens become more interested in the news, they begin to find their voice and form their own unique views. Fortunately for us, we live in a country where we are free to speak our minds. However, there are times, even in America, where we as teenagers don’t feel comfortable voicing our opinions. So should we be censoring ourselves?
Taking the Backseat
For starters, teenagers’ opinions are often belittled. Take, for instance, David Hogg and Greta Thunberg. They are constantly labeled by the media as “emotional” or “angry,” when they just are teens who are passionate about the causes they believe in.
For instance, conservative political commentator Ben Shapiro said that the kids who protested after the Parkland shootings are not “fully rational actors. They’re not capable of exercising supreme responsibilities. And we shouldn’t be treating innocence as a political asset used to push the agenda of more sophisticated players.” There have even been instances in which students have been threatened or physically beaten, which makes teenagers everywhere wonder whether their opinions are even wanted.
In a country where freedom of expression is considered the backbone of our rights, teenagers are used to having their opinions controlled. We have been conditioned to think that we are not “old enough” or “experienced enough” to make our own judgments. This kind of ideology is why many students feel as if they should not voice their political opinions.
School Censorship
Additionally, some students feel pressured by their schools to censor themselves. Even though there have been many court cases dictating teenagers’ rights to expression, such as the landmark case Tinker v. Des Moines (1969), it is impossible to completely disassociate students’ comments from their school.
For instance, in the aftermath of the Parkland shootings, many students across the nation who protested for gun control were threatened with suspensions and detentions for walking out of their classes. Students often feel that their views are in danger of being restricted by their schools.
The Fear of the Future
As I’m writing this article, I have three tabs open with my college application essays, and it is safe to say that many of my fellow seniors are in the same situation. College admissions has started to consume students with a sense of all-encompassing fear and anxiety.
In this age of social-media oversharing, teens are starting to act more cautiously because of the constant fear that what they post will come back to haunt them during their college application process. We’ve all seen instances of students having their admission rescinded because of comments made on social media.
For example, this past June, Harvard rescinded Parkland shooting survivor Kyle Kashuv’s admission because of racist comments he made two years ago. There are many articles like these, that reinforce teens’ fears that what they say online will follow them into the workforce and stay with them for the rest of their lives.
So why should thoughts of the future affect the decisions teenagers make in the present? Well, for starters, students are able to see that their comments have no statute of limitations. A comment made a decade before applying for a job may still be called into question by that potential employer.
Suddenly that tweet from your best friend’s birthday party in 7th grade where you dropped the n-word has aged quite poorly. It could be mentioned at interviews for the rest of your career, branding you a racist and unfit to be hired.
Many teens will wonder if voicing their opinions about subjects like abortion rights or gun control could have the same kind of effect. For instance, if a company is heavily involved in a conservative candidate’s campaign, would they be willing to hire a liberal employee that has been very vocal against their company’s support of a platform?
Have We Let this Stop Us?
Although many students are wary of expressing their opinions, there are many that still do, despite the repercussions. For example, a group of students convinced their school board to modify their curriculum to include student activism in history and encourage healthy political discourse. There have also been examples of students that have decided to take on and run a whole political campaign.
We also have members in our own school that have decided to be very vocal about their political opinions; we have had students write letters to Congress and write pieces tackling issues like immigration in our issues of the Mountaineer. If you have an opinion that you want featured in the Mountaineer, send us an email! We would love for you to reach out and talk about things that you are passionate about!
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