New Study Shows College Students Conflicted on Free Speech

snaves (39)in #freespeech • 6 years ago

A new study by Gallup and the Knight Foundation polled college students on their thoughts about many First Amendment issues. It follows up from a 2016 study. The areas of study include student views of First Amendment rights, tensions between free expression and inclusion, the effect of campus climate on expression, the role of social media, and views on actions to limit speech. Answers are broken up by demographic and party affiliation.

There are many areas in which students demonstrate support for free speech:

89% say protecting free speech is extremely or very important
70% prefer an open learning environment that allows speech which might be offensive
61% believe the climate on their college campus deters some speech
59% think social media stifles free expression because too many people block opposing views or people are afraid of being attacked or shamed
72% oppose disinviting speakers because some students are opposed to the speaker
94% think distributing literature on controversial issues is at least sometimes acceptable

At the same time, students also show preferences for restrictions on speech:

53% would choose diversity and inclusion over protecting free speech rights (46%)
64% think hate speech should not be protected by the First Amendment
Many think there should be campus restrictions on slurs (73%), stereotypical costumes (60%), and offensive political viewpoints (30%)
83% favor establishing a free speech zone on campus
68% think social media companies should be responsible for limiting hate speech
69% favor cancelling planned speeches because of concerns about violent protests
37% think the heckler's veto and 10% think violence is at least sometimes acceptable to stop a speaker or protest
39% think denying news media access to protests is at least sometimes acceptable

The study seems to show that college students generally support free speech rights in principle, but not always in practice. Many students have a certain level of ignorance in regards to free speech issues. 60% are unsure if their college has a free speech zone, 67% are unsure if their college has a speech code, 63% are unsure if a speaker has been disinvited, and 60% are unsure if a speech was cancelled due to the possibility of violent protest.

While the vast majority of students agree that both the protection of free speech rights and promoting an inclusive society are important to democracy, more say that a diverse and inclusive society is more important, if they had to choose one or the other. This shows a lack of understanding of the reasons why free speech is so important. Free speech rights are necessary for a pluralistic society because it protects the minority. The rights guaranteed by the First Amendment allow oppressed groups to fight for their other rights. A diverse and inclusive society naturally follows.

See link below to full study for more data and information.