Education has bought into the idea of Consumerism

Education has bought into the idea of Consumerism

Education has bought into the idea of consumerism since the past years. Students now are being treated as costumers forgetting that the main point of education is to learn. Schools used to be a place to learn not just an environment where people could exchange words. There is a complete transformation starting from School buildings, teachers, and even teaching methods. More technology, less books and less classrooms. Also many alternatives to choose as in classes, professor and schools. This generation do not even have a dress code. Making college become a buyer’s market by trying to satisfy parents and students “needs”. Therefore, tuition goes up. Forgetting to think about those who cannot afford to pay for such thing, but do actually want to succeed in life. Only because the education system no longer look at students as students but more as customers. In the first place, now a days it is all about fitting in. Our cultural generation gets influenced by the Internet, TV, and magazines; “buy in order to be” (Edmundson’s, p. 325 paragraph 14). This generation does not have strict dress code. Which causes a “competition” between students. Even if everyone else do not want to admit that it really happens in some schools. It is true this happens and it is happening. It is sad to admit but today’s generation students are desperate to blend in. Students are afraid to express themselves, afraid to make mistake. Why? Some maybe because they are afraid of being corrected it. Edmundson’s students see that as an embarrassment, instead of a learning process. We learn by making mistakes and if no one corrects us, how will be able to improve or even learn? Just in the same way, this generation is also derived by money. College became a buyer’s market. It became one once they started satisfying parents and student’s needs instead of challenging them. Colleges use promotional strategies to fill up class rooms, “That usually meant creating more comfortable, less challenging environments, places where almost no one failed, everything was enjoyable, and everyone was nice.” (Paragraph 28). One example of how are they becoming a college market buyers is by re-modeling, adding or improving dorms, football fields, gyms, classrooms and etcetera, so that they can compete with other colleges; that way they able to attract the upper class people who are able to afford such thing. Making the students pay way too much money just to be able to get a good education. Likewise, by adding more technology, not thinking about the people who cannot afford such things. Getting rid of books, maybe not now but one day we will no longer have books. Why though? Is it really that necessary? No, I do not believe so. “One of the lessons that consumer hype tries to insinuate is that we must never rebel against the new, never even question it” (p. 326, paragraph 16). Now students even have the choice to take classes online. Not necessary at all. It is only for convenience and conformability. If anything it probably affects students because they become lazier due to conformability they have. By doing that only causes a lot of students and parents go in debt because they have to keep up with all the technology that comes out plus pay tuition. Also students have a power now to choose what they want. Students and parents now feel entitled to pick as they please. Whether they want this professor or the other one; whether they want to continue in a certain class up until a month before the course is over; “A happy customer is, by definition, one with multiple options, one who can always have what he wants. And since a course is something the students and their parents pay for, why can’t they do pretty much as they please?” (Paragraph 31). Colleges are becoming more and more like a retailer, they are paying for it, why not have the right to drop it if not satisfied? Education has bought itself into the idea of consumerism by letting the education system treat students as customers. Making sure everything they “need “is ready by the time each school semester starts. Having more comfortable, less challenging environments forgetting that the main point of education is to learn. High tuitions causing parents and students to be on debt for the rest of their lives. Education should really pay attention on if they are spending their money right or not. If they really care probably should help those who cannot afford going to college instead of making it more expensive and increase the number of students who cannot afford college.