Majority of US university students oppose allowing speakers with controversial viewpoints on campus

"Rather than hearing out and then responding to an ideological opponent, both liberal and conservative college students are retreating from the encounter entirely. The study warns that the trend could have far-reaching consequences. This will only harm students' ability to think critically and create rifts between them, Lukianoff added. We must champion free speech on campus as a remedy to our culture's deep polarization."

"The report found a continued decline in support for free speech among students of all political affiliations, and reported that conservative students are increasingly joining their liberal peers in supporting censorship and students of every political persuasion show a deep unwillingness to encounter controversial ideas. The atmosphere isn't just cautious it's hostile, the report states. Students continue to show low tolerance for controversial speakers, and troublingly,"

Nearly 70,000 college students across 257 U.S. institutions expressed majority opposition to hosting individuals with controversial viewpoints, whether labeled liberal or conservative. For the first time, a majority opposed hosting six hypothetical individuals with controversial views—three labeled liberal and three labeled conservative. Support for free speech declined across students of all political affiliations, and conservative students increasingly joined liberal peers in endorsing censorship. Students of every political persuasion showed a deep unwillingness to encounter controversial ideas. Campus climates were described as hostile rather than merely cautious. The trend threatens students' ability to think critically and risks creating rifts between student groups.

Read at www.theguardian.com