People often turn a blind eye to the concept of “slut shaming” nowadays. I put those words in quotes because I wonder if anyone actually knows what it means to slut shame someone. In society today, throwing around the word slut really is not seen as such a big deal. People joke around about it all the time and think nothing of it. This happens especially often in college. Young people at large state universities like Arizona State are so accustomed to the party culture and sexualizing their time in college that they hardly flinch when it comes to using the word slut. It happens in cases of sexual assault, intimate relationships, fashion sense, and party situations. It is no secret that in cases of sexual assault on college campuses, alcohol is often involved and the woman, who is usually the victim, is sometimes referred to as “easy” or “slutty” because she was drinking and apparently was asking to be assaulted.

Now, how that makes any sense is beyond me, but it happens every day. It is as if a woman who attends any college party is suddenly asking to be raped. It is like saying that the second she showed up in her little crop top and shorts, she was looking to become intimate. That is just so false. Young men seem to be losing sight of the value of a woman. In fact, a couple of drunken 18-year olds were on my porch not long ago and one of them said something that I cannot get out of my head.

He said, “Well, I’m 18. I’m supposed to hook up with as many girls as possible.”

Now, maybe that does not seem like such a big deal to some people, but for me, it was just disgusting. It is truly saddening to think that this is the way people think. It is unfortunate that both men and women are so accustomed to having sex with as many people as possible without a care in the world.

The other young man even said, “Condoms suck. I never use them.”

It is truly disheartening, and then to sit there and have them proceed to hit on me, actually thinking that we might have sex is just insulting. It is terrifying how easily men and women are objectified in today’s society and I truly cannot understand why people are careless when it comes to another person’s feelings. A few guys told a good friend of mine that they thought she was a slut because she spent so much time at fraternity parties in the past. These young men had no idea what my friend had or had not done sexually, but merely assumed that a pretty girl like her who drank at some fraternity parties was obviously a slut. Women should be allowed to do as they please, dress how they please, and live how they please without being judged for it. The word slut is an awful word and words hurt more than anything else. So, you tell me. Why is slut shaming such a casual topic in society today?