Censorship has been a troubling issue in the United States, but throughout the last decade, it has become more prevalent, specifically in the media and education systems. The importance of intellectual freedom and freedom of speech is something that shouldn’t be restricted, especially for young, growing minds. As the digital age advances, so does censorship and restrictions on freedom of speech.
On January 20, 2025, the White House published a statement reinforcing our First Amendment rights, enshrining the right for the American public to speak freely in public squares without government interference. But, as times change and the internet becomes more accessible for everyone, censorship is increasing, even as the government promises not to take away the right of freedom of speech, it acts otherwise. Censorship happens anywhere and at any time, especially on a college campus. Statistics show that more than 61 percent of college students feel intimidated to share ideas, opinions or beliefs, as stated by a 2022 study done by the Buckley Program. Intimidation is a form of censorship; it can hold someone back from speaking out about a problem they feel strongly about and can even influence them to think their opinions or beliefs are wrong. College is a place of expression, experimentation, creative thinking, and independence, but intimidation limits those traits, limits freedom of speech, and, therefore, censors beliefs and ideals.
With the rise of social media and online activity, there has been a rise in censorship. Most social platforms censor ideas and beliefs by restricting who can see them if they find that it doesn’t meet their criteria or views. Creative shout, a popular gaming site, used its power and influence to take down games that excluded the sexualization of women, causing the hard-working game creators to lose their work and freedom of expression.
Students have the voice and influence to fight against censorship and regain freedom of speech. There are many ways young adults can stand against censorship. The most important one is knowing their rights. Promoting diverse voices is essential to having new ideas, challenging beliefs, and discovering the truth. As students, we need to protect this freedom, protect democracy, and give every voice a chance to be heard.
With censorship, we lose the ability to question authority, our ability to express ourselves, and our individual voice. Eastfield is a place to get out of your comfort zone and find yourself. We can’t do that if we are scared to speak up, scared to protest, and scared to express our true feelings.
Censorship has also been an issue in libraries and schools. Libraries often restrict books and media that they consider unsuitable, thereby limiting the author’s freedom of speech and expression, as well as the reader’s freedom of choice. Organizations and governments declare they censor material to better lives and to protect others. But censorship does the opposite. It prevents individual expression and independence, limiting free speech. We as the people deserve freedom of speech, but this doesn’t mean we should put others down or use our words to harm others.
