Political correctness and 'safe spaces'

I've been seeing mention of 'safe spaces' popping up in news and social media quite a lot, and it seems to be increasing. Students are being offered counseling over any potential offence they might feel. Or safe spaces to retreat to when confronted with ideas that make them uncomfortable or traumatised. The increasing level of political correctness is crazy.


Students offered counselling over small sombrero hats at tequila-themed birthday party

The college has even offered offended students “safe spaces” and counselling to help them deal with the emotional impact of the miniature sombrero party.

I thought that safe spaces was only in US universities, but looking into it, I discovered it's a trend that's quickly caught on in Australia too.

No place for safe spaces in Australian universities

...the concept of the 'safe space' – facilities created for the purpose of allowing students to seclude themselves from the world outside... You'll find these enclaves of isolation at virtually every university in the country.

I fear for our future when we're establishing systems that teach our young people they have a right to be offended, and that when offended they have a right to retreat to a 'safe room'. There's nowhere in the reality existing outside of universities that this is reasonable. We don't have safe rooms in workplaces, or workplace counselors for people who might be offended.

Universities once had the purpose of teaching young people a higher education in order to succeed in the world, but now it seems their mandate has changed. Now they're teaching them how to fearfully retreat from the world – not to mention how to attack others for the crime of offending them.

...A little over a year ago the University of Sydney Union blocked the establishment of a student-led 'men's shed'... because it threatened to cause 'significant damage' to the campus's queer community.

I knew about this. They banned a group supporting men's mental health because it didn't address women's health or issues facing 'the queer community'.

What kind of future are we enabling?