But the signs of meaninglessness and a society unraveling at the edges are all around us - in our cities, our neighborhoods, our schools, even our own homes. The rates of depression have doubled in industrialized nations roughly every 10 years. It is interesting that depression is much more of a problem in affluent, modern societies than in poor developing nations. Despair is no respecter of education, economics, class, age or race. Suicide is the third most common cause of death among young adults after car wrecks and homicides.
Modern society is plagued by meaninglessness and despair.
And college campuses are not immune. Colleges and universities have lost their bearing - administrators, faculty, and students. It is one of the few major universities where it is possible to get drunk four nights a week for four years and still maintain a B average. It is common practice for women students to fast during the day, so they can drink at night without worrying about gaining weight. Just this week, two students standing behind me at the Rat were talking about how their roommate had had so much to drink the night before that they could smell it on her the next day, even after she'd showered.