Is it the inappropriate behaviors that may occur from it? Or is it the illegal aspect of underage drinking? I think it’s a mix of several factors if you ask me.
Now, I understand that partying has it’s pros & cons, & even though some my posts revolved around partying, it’s not for everyone. Some people would rather stay in, watch a movie, or go out to eat. Furthermore, even going on an “adventure” throughout the mall is still a fun option for some.
Overall, the main focus of college is to get an education. IMO, the administration does a good job of letting their students know that there’s more to life than partying & drinking, & there is: People just have different interests & opinions on partying, & I respect them for following their interests rather than trying to “fit in” with the partiers.
You have many posts about partying if I remember correctly. IMO there is nothing wrong with going out on weekends and having fun but things should be done in moderation. The “party culture” is viewed negatively because it is typically associated with those who do not act in moderation. If a student (or anyone for that matter) gets too involved with partying – meaning drinking/illegal drugs/prescription drugs/mixing alcohol and drugs to the point where it endangers his/her academics (or job performance for an adult), leads to dangerous/undesirable behaviors, jeopardizes his/her health then it quickly becomes a huge problem.
I agree with @happy1 . There should be a balance in things. By doing too much of one thing, you upset that balance. I also think the party culture is seen as negative because of all the attention it gets in the media. A lot of stories that make it on the media about a college party are portrayed negatively so people end up thinking college parties are bad.
I think it goes further than this. For instance, look at fraternities who have hazed and killed students (alcohol poisoning ) , girls who have fallen out of MIT fraternity houses drunk, drug deals where students go to jail, and rape culture. I am sorry, but I was a student in the 1970s and I saw all that at MIT. At my husband’s school, (Rollins College) there were students getting high and wrecking cars for “fun” and going to jail. Yes college can be “fun” but for certain many students take this way too far. For instance, Colorado State in Fort Collins, gets the award for binge drinkers, who are underage. I may sound like a ranting adult, and I AM! But I saw one too many boy take a hit of nitrous oxide at MIT parties, I saw one too many girl, hurt by her boyfriend, and the VD treatment lines were long at MIT! Also morning after pill line was LONG at MIT Health Services. One of my classmates got a drug habit at MIT and got into “sales” and went to jail for a long long time. MIT only recently cracked down on drug culture, see new President and his actions, vis a vie shutting down Senior Haus.
There is nothing wrong with parties. There is something wrong when a student becomes immersed in Party Culture.
Affixing “Culture” means the act has become a regularly repeated act. If “Party” means regularly staying up late, regularly drinking to excess, regularly taking drugs, etc, then that means the student’s life is focused on something other than education. And that usually means education will suffer. The primary reason to be in college is to attain a college education, a degree.
Going to 1 to 3 parties a month probably isn’t a big deal. Going to 2 or 3 parties a week indicates a student’s priorities might be out of wack.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with going to 2-3 parties per week. My D and her friends regularly go out Friday and Saturday nights. They are top students. It says nothing negative about their priorities at all.
Being social is a huge part of college! I had a great time in college; but I always went to class and always did my work. It’s not an either or scenario. You are only in class @ 3 hours a day; there’s lots of time to do your work and still be social.
My school had more of a bar scene than party scene, but it’s still social none the less.
Knowing when to draw the line is key. If you have a midterm the next day, don’t go out - even if you “always” go out on Thursday night. If you are feeling run down; don’t go out. It’s not that hard if you use common sense.
Social/light drinking is more of an adult thing to do IMO, like having a glass of wine for dinner or having a beer or two at a picnic/bonfire. However, college kids usually binge drink because of their personality & the illegal aspect of it. I even heard of people who calmed down once they turned 21 because they didn’t have to go through any loopholes just to get hooked up with alcohol.
There’s nothing wrong about throwing a party or going to a party once you are in college. It is normal, and it serves as a stress reliever for some college student as they meet new people.
To me, college students are adults. I also don’t think “most college kids binge drink.” Do many drink and to a level of intoxication? Yes. But that isn’t binge drinking. There is absolutely nothing wrong with going to a party and having a few drinks. The problem is when people drink so much they black out, get alcohol poisoning or can no longer make any reasonable decisions for themselves. Personally I’d like to see the drinking age be 19 for beer and wine. I think that would take the mystery out of it and allow college students to sit at a pub and have a few drinks orin a lounge in their dorms socializing etc.
Another thing: Party Etiquette
The way ppl act at parties goes further than the possibility of lower grades. Let’s say if you end up on social media or in the campus newspaper under the police blotter section. A person’s negative behavior can be a result of losing out on a scholarship or internship if they find out what happened to you.
The main rule of thumb is to be safe, smart, & responsible at parties. There’s no need to black out drunk or get alcohol poisoning, yet it still happens from time to time.
@Empireapple I also agree that the drinking age should be “adjusted”, but there’s several threads on lowering the drinking age on this website already.