U.S. colleges abandon real education for coloring books and 'safe spaces' to coddle young, ignorant minds

[Althena]

(NaturalNews) Left-wing extremist fanatics have long since taken over the nation's institutes of "higher" education and are using them not to advance learning but to impose a new social order and to churn out sheep who are incapable of critical thought.

That's the only way to explain the lunacy that keeps emanating from our nation's colleges and universities. Worse, these kids are next generation of voters and policymakers – never forget that.

The College Fix is reporting that essentially, the "progressive" social change artists running colleges and universities are creating mindless cowards who are incapable of dealing with anything controversial or confrontational.

"In the age of safe spaces and trigger warnings comes another new trend to the college repertoire: coloring books," the site notes, adding that this fall campuses around the country are offering them to students so they can "de-stress" (rather than teaching them ways to better handle and manage stress, which is simply a fact of life).

For instance, at American University, the school's counseling center made coloring sheets available in recognition of "Healthy Campus Week." The school noted on its Facebook page that coloring books for adults "can help with a number of emotional and mental health issues" (or cause them, perhaps?).

We're conditioning our young people to run away from stress rather than figure out ways to deal with it

Allegedly, such coloring materials can help relieve obsessive-compulsive behavior, over-eating, anxiety and depressive disorders, as well as substance abuse issues and anger management. The AU center claimed that the time and focus it takes for adults to color "helps the individual remove the focus from the negative issues and habits," allowing the person to "focus them in a safe and productive way."

Yes, this is real. And yes, there are people who believe this – far too many, in fact.

Meanwhile, at the University of Wyoming, there is an "Art-Well" program creators say aims to "color your stress away." The website notes further that students are provided coloring pages and colors. There are scheduled "Art-Well times" but for students who can't make those, they can come to the "Wellness Center Zen Den any time."

At the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth there is a program called "StressLess Days," which are held on Wednesdays. As in the previous cases, UMass Dartmouth provides coloring materials as well as "crafts and games" for poor, stressed-out students.

The University of Missouri has a similar program, which College Fix reporter Kayla Schierbecker tweet-described as the launch of the school's "adult daycare" program. As do several others, including Brown University and the University of California-San Diego, The College Fix reported.

Several other ways of handling stress besides resorting to a childhood activity

"Coloring is like meditation because it encourages engagement with the present moment. When we focus on the present moment, we do not worry about the future, ruminate about the past, or engage in negative self talk," says Northcentral University Prof. Mary Jill Blackwell.

Well, that may be true – but the same could be said about spending time studying to be a better student or reading assignments to learn more – both functions of higher education. Or, at least they used to be.

Then again, people need to learn how to handle stress, not run away from it. Being able to handle the inevitable stress in your life makes you a stronger person. But if a person has been sheltered from it most of their lives, when they are faced with a stressful situation they must deal with, they are unprepared to handle it because they've never done it. They don't know how. So the result can be disastrous – lashing out in anger, complete mental breakdown, turning to alcohol and/or drugs or even suicide.

There are several ways to handle stress other than turning to a childhood activity – do something physical (like sports or working out), sleep more, talk to a friend or find solutions to your problems on your own by writing them down.

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I don't even know where to begin...

[TargeT]

It's a strange strange world we live in....

Who would have thought the leftist would be the violent ones?

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=UQtFXFP8lxI

[BMJ]

Have the students focus on something complete different to their course of study would be very helpful in reducing stress. I think NaturalNews has got this one wrong, colouring books are a good idea this is actually the use of the "distraction technique".
Would not a liking for colouring books be preferable to the students developing a drug or alcohol habit or suffering from and developing disorders like depression or stress related disorders.
I used to have a half hour nap, that made me feel refreshed and ready to go for another 3 hours of night classes after my days work.

[Savannah]

"We're conditioning our young people to run away from stress rather than figure out ways to deal with it"
Yes I see this everyday.

I live in CA but I'm not from here. I also work in a bureaucratic institution and the majority of my colleagues are college educated and under 30. I believe both these factors have an influence on what I have observed. The generational differences I notice (I'm 60 from NY) is their acceptance of poor working conditions. They rationalize nonsense paperwork, incompetent supervisors and poor working conditions. They value above all else political correctness and social niceness. They perceive the people they work with as a "team", rather than a group of individuals who have the same job and separate responsibilities. The idea of rebellion, going to the union and saying no to authority figures is foreign to them. It is very disturbing.

[Mercedes]

Education and work institutions promoting the HIVE MIND.

[bluestflame]

trauma induced mind control 101

[TargeT]

Posted by bluestflame (here)
trauma induced mind control 101

Maybe,... maybe... but only if they are lowering the threshold for what people consider "trauma"... what with all these safe-spaces and "triggered" and PC BS... it seems very very easy to traumatize a modern college student.

[Flash]

My gosh! They became Canadians. (Kidding)

Posted by Savannah (here)
"We're conditioning our young people to run away from stress rather than figure out ways to deal with it"
Yes I see this everyday.

I live in CA but I'm not from here. I also work in a bureaucratic institution and the majority of my colleagues are college educated and under 30. I believe both these factors have an influence on what I have observed. The generational differences I notice (I'm 60 from NY) is their acceptance of poor working conditions. They rationalize nonsense paperwork, incompetent supervisors and poor working conditions. They value above all else political correctness and social niceness. They perceive the people they work with as a "team", rather than a group of individuals who have the same job and separate responsibilities. The idea of rebellion, going to the union and saying no to authority figures is foreign to them. It is very disturbing.

[shaberon]

Posted by TargeT (here)
...but only if they are lowering the threshold for what people consider "trauma"...

Oh, I would have to say it's been lowered from an actual knife in the spleen to "I felt uncomfortable".

Coloring encourages engagement with the present moment??

Often, such things are only the result of a bribe/kickback scheme from the manufacturer. I admit I have a few colored pages of Cogsworth and Lumiere that someone gave me back then...if you like doing it, that's fine, but if they're going to distribute materials, why not on a rack beside the newspapers? Isn't the counsellor's office where I go when I need someone neutral to talk to, not for art supplies? "I wanted someone to talk me out of killing my roommate, but I picked up this book and engaged the present moment...it didn't solve any issues, but I was able to give up on everything". Hrm.

[rgray222]

Universities have become an indoctrination and not an education.

[peggy englebrake]

Well, I had a thought. Perhaps the textbooks could become coloring text books. I envision coloring the Krebs cycle (organic chemistry) and sacred geometry would be a natural and history sounds like a particularly colorful subject to study. What coloring text book would you design?

[Pam]

Posted by Savannah (here)
"We're conditioning our young people to run away from stress rather than figure out ways to deal with it"
Yes I see this everyday.

I live in CA but I'm not from here. I also work in a bureaucratic institution and the majority of my colleagues are college educated and under 30. I believe both these factors have an influence on what I have observed. The generational differences I notice (I'm 60 from NY) is their acceptance of poor working conditions. They rationalize nonsense paperwork, incompetent supervisors and poor working conditions. They value above all else political correctness and social niceness. They perceive the people they work with as a "team", rather than a group of individuals who have the same job and separate responsibilities. The idea of rebellion, going to the union and saying no to authority figures is foreign to them. It is very disturbing.

Interesting observations. I wonder if their tolerance for poor working conditions stems from the fact that they have grown up in a world where glitches in systems are more the norm then the exception. They expect glitches, they expect that things won't work as they should and expect to spend a great part of their workday dealing with them.

The team concept, while it looks good on the surface can also be a cover for abdicating personal responsibility. Being satisfied with doing meaningless paperwork is the bread and butter of bureaucracies. And the really important important part is never, ever offend anyone.

It really is a different world, although it didn't happen overnight. We have all played a role in it. As far as I can see we have been marching toward this for a good 40 years, probably more. I don't see it getting any better without a major implosion.

[Sunny-side-up]

Posted by TargeT (here)
It's a strange strange world we live in....

Who would have thought the leftist would be the violent ones?

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=UQtFXFP8lxI

Hi TargeT

As you/we know there is no left or right anymore, they are all puppets with unseen hands stuck up their rear-ends, and in their wallets.

[Savannah]

Posted by peterpam (here)

Posted by Savannah (here)
"We're conditioning our young people to run away from stress rather than figure out ways to deal with it"
Yes I see this everyday.

I live in CA but I'm not from here. I also work in a bureaucratic institution and the majority of my colleagues are college educated and under 30. I believe both these factors have an influence on what I have observed. The generational differences I notice (I'm 60 from NY) is their acceptance of poor working conditions. They rationalize nonsense paperwork, incompetent supervisors and poor working conditions. They value above all else political correctness and social niceness. They perceive the people they work with as a "team", rather than a group of individuals who have the same job and separate responsibilities. The idea of rebellion, going to the union and saying no to authority figures is foreign to them. It is very disturbing.

Interesting observations. I wonder if their tolerance for poor working conditions stems from the fact that they have grown up in a world where glitches in systems are more the norm then the exception. They expect glitches, they expect that things won't work as they should and expect to spend a great part of their workday dealing with them.

The team concept, while it looks good on the surface can also be a cover for abdicating personal responsibility. Being satisfied with doing meaningless paperwork is the bread and butter of bureaucracies. And the really important important part is never, ever offend anyone.

It really is a different world, although it didn't happen overnight. We have all played a role in it. As far as I can see we have been marching toward this for a good 40 years, probably more. I don't see it getting any better without a major implosion.

I believe we are socially engendered and each generation has had a different set of objectives and thus propaganda directed at them. I grew up on the tail end of the Hippie generation. The meme at that time was to get us to take drugs and rebel against our parents. They wanted "drug, sex and rock n roll" to be our mantra. The goal was to destroy the family unit and make us think poisoning our brains with drugs was cool. They needed to fund the SSP and black projects. They now have that taken care of by the under class (most Hispanics, Blacks and poor whites) Thus they want the college educated/middle calls (what's left of it) to buy into transhumanism. I didn't "trust anyone over 30" and grew up thinking rebellion was a social value. Rebellion is not a mandate for the under 30 generation. They need to buy in! They have to buy all the new technology and believe that authority figures have their best interest in heart and they should trust Google. They trust the Boss even if they think he is a bit incompetent, that's ok he's just a nice old guy. Were a "team" we can help him out and do it for him and they do every day. In old days (ha ha ) the saying would have been give that guy enough rope he will hang himself, I got my own work to do.

[vano915]

I have thought for some time that if my children were still young, I would send them all to trade schools and make sure they had library cards so they could educate themselves. College has gotten to be a joke, not an education.