– I feel that you can say quite a lot. But you know what the consequences will be if you say something that is not politically correct.
That’s what Sebastian Eikeland says, one of the students NRK meets at the University of Oslo.
Freedom of expression is in third place above the young people’s heart matters in the new UNG report to Opinion.
For the boys, it has become the most important issue.
Almost four out of ten men between the ages of 15 and 25 engage in it.
Save for stamps
Vilde Vågsland says that commitment to freedom of expression has increased.
– But this is something the boys have been talking about for quite some time, says Vilde Vågsland from Opinion.
One of the boys who has spoken a lot about a lack of freedom of speech is Jack Chen.
Jack Chen is a student and social debater.
Photo: Private
He received strong criticism when he believed that the controversial figure Andrew Tate has some good points. Tate is subsequently charged with human trafficking, rape and organized crime.
– I think many young men are afraid of being labeled as something negative, whether it’s sexist, homophobic or whatever. That’s why they don’t dare speak out, says Chen.
A “boy thing”
Kjersti Thorbjørnsrud at the Institute for Social Research has previously written a book on freedom of expression.
The UNG report is consistent with research she has done.
– Women are more concerned that it can be harmful and painful to be exposed to offensive statements, while men attach more importance to the ceiling height being high, she says.
For the girls, mental health and climate are more popular matters of the heart, according to the UNG report.
Kjersti Thorbjørnsrud points out that there is also a gender difference among adults when it comes to freedom of expression.
Photo: NRK
– Why are young men so concerned about freedom of speech?
– There is little research on that, explains Thorbjørnsrud.
But she believes social media can play a role:
– When they mean it a little more than girls, it may be because they follow some profiles that raise it as a problem, she says.
The UNG report also states that one in five boys state that they have other sources for news content that they trust more than the national media.
Subject editor Danby Choi has a theory as to why.
Danby Choi comes out with a book about freedom of expression, and has become a kind of standard bearer for the topic.
Photo: Sunniva Grimstad Hestenes
– Quite a few young men do not feel represented by the media and politicians’ stories, he says to NRK.
– Not a theme
But not all the young men NRK meets agree with Choi.
– I never thought that was a problem, says Gabriel Ebbesen.
– Not in a country like Norway. I don’t think it’s a theme unless you make it a theme, he adds.
Jonathan Vollan believes that freedom of expression is stronger than it has ever been.
– Especially on social media. People can say what they want there, he says.
Jonathan Vollan does not quite recognize himself in the findings from the UNG report.
Photo: Ksenia Novikova / NRK
He and his friend agree that you have to expect reactions when you say something controversial.
– So they simply have to endure the criticism?
– Yes, I think so.
Freedom of expression under pressure?
Simen Velle is the leader of the youth party of the Frp, the party where every fifth man aged 18 to 30 voted in the election.
Simen Velle (Frp) and Ola Svenneby (H) became the winners of the school election, and both criticized the woke movement. Here from Velle’s Instagram account.
Photo: Screenshot taken 06.09.23
He was one of those who spoke the loudest about freedom of speech and anti-woke during the run-up to the election.
– Why did you do that?
– Because I genuinely feel that freedom of expression is under pressure in Norway. Saying things you’ve always wanted to say is suddenly no longer okay.
But when NRK asks the social scientist Thorbjørnsrud about the state of freedom of speech, the answer is different:
– Fundamentally, freedom of expression is very good in Norway. In that sense, it cannot be said that it is under pressure here.
She adds that the fact that many young people are afraid of being condemned for their expressions indicates that the culture of expression has some challenges.
– It probably also has something to do with what phase they are in in life. In youth, you are very concerned about how you are perceived by others, says Thorbjørnsrud.
2023-10-19 14:52:01
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