The frustrating thing about debates like this is that one group has to to stick to facts, while another one can make up anything to score points. This is something important for my kids to understand as they develop and are exposed to the world.
The anti-vaccine movement is a case in point. Scientists can (and did) spend millions of dollars proving that vaccines don’t cause autism, but it doesn’t matter, because others can make up any argument that scares people (they have toxins in them, too many “antigens”, etc.). None of it is true, but listening to a knowledgeable person explain it takes time, and people who want to perpetuate the lie can spin scary stories quickly.
So it is with this thread: a study performed twice shows the terrible burden our society is placing on students. One person says that “college is affordable” and provides anecdotes and one set of numbers indicating that it isn’t. It is pointed out, using actual numbers and phenomena (eg Maslow’s pyramid, the effects of severe stress) that apply to tens of thousands of students, that college isn’t affordable. The reply ignores both those numbers and the ones she provided, and uses more anecdotes (unlike the calculations, we have to take her at her word). The author doesn’t reply to the calculations or other points brought up, IMO because there’s no refuting them. Again, this is a tactic used by people with an interest in continuing something that isn’t in society’s best interest but that suits them for whatever reason. I teach my kids that it’s used when the facts aren’t on your side.
Truisms:
1) All facts are not represented by a given study.
2) Anecdotal evidence and lived experiences... also present facts.
3) Empirical evidence (research studies) and anecdotal evidence (lived experiences) can both add value to a discussion.
Regarding posts on this topic:
1) One need not post rebuttals: Constructive contributions to the conversation can take many forms. One can choose to expend their energy according to their own wishes, time constraints, etc.
2) Some may say that posting about vaccines-and-autism may be off-topic on a thread about college affordability.
Regarding the article:
While your phraseology may indicate seeing students as passive victims ("the terrible burden our society is placing on students")... others may see students as having
internal locus of control, - by choosing whether or not to become students,
- by deferring rewards to another day ("Marshmallow test" applied to college-age rewards such as fashion, travel, lifestyle),
- etc.
The
OP's article cites
Temple University and
Wisconsin HOPE Lab... some may find it interesting to read about these entities, from their websites and other sources. I believe I read somewhere that Wisconsin has a college tuition freeze. The HOPE Lab website states that they "...
explore counseling and other approaches to help families contend with those costs, and experiment with approaches to lowering the costs while ensuring that students earn degrees of value." Sanne's contributions to this thread seem to align with those HOPE Lab goals!
