Abstract:

“Well-being is that positive sense of self, spirit and belonging that we feel when our cognitive, emotional, social and physical needs are being met” (Ontario’s Well-being Strategy for Education).

Student well-being is one of the greatest challenges facing universities today (Whiteside, Bould, Tsey, Venville, Cadet-James & Morris, 2017), as for many students the transition from high school to university is difficult (Conley, 2007; Kantanis, 2000; Krause, 2005; Kuh, 2009; Parker, Summerfeldt, Hogan & Majeski, 2004; Pritchard & Wilson, 2003). According to the 2017 National College Health Assessment, “in the last 12 months, 20.5% felt very lonely, 60.9% felt overwhelming anxiety, 21.6% diagnosed with anxiety, and 17.8% diagnosed with depression” (American College Health Association). Student anxiety has become so prevalent that many are saying that we live in an “age of anxiety” (Twenge, 2000). Many factors have been connected to this increase in student anxiety levels including smartphone addiction, social media use, the high school education system, over-protective parents, the rising cost of education, uncertain job market, alcohol and drug use, unhealthy eating, and a lack of social support (Andrews & Wilding, 2004; Hefner & Eisenberg, 2009; Jones, Park & Lefevor, 2018; Lepp, Barkley & Karpinski, 2014; Turkle, 2017; Twenge, 2000; Wilcox, Winn & Fyvie‐Gauld, 2005). However, this paper will argue that also contributing to negative well-being is increasing "existential anxiety.”

Existentialism has been described as a way to interpret the predicament or dilemma of people in modern society and the resulting anxiety and anguish (Collins, 1952; May, 1959). Golomb (1995: 200) notes, “the existential question today is not whether to be or not to be, but how one can become what one truly is.” Existentialism focuses on creation of the self, argues that human meaning is subjective, and emphasizes that the goal of human existence is the meaningful or authentic life. According to Existentialism, anxiety is a natural state due to the freedom to choose our lives, and choices around education and careers are much more complex as the world of work is unpredictable and continually changing. Today’s higher education students are struggling not only with a myriad of educational and career choices, but also choices regarding beliefs, values, and ultimately, the challenges of living a meaningful life. Understanding how the resulting existential anxiety is affecting students is essential if we are to address the challenges of student well-being. The full paper will discuss the state of student well-being, explain the problem of existential anxiety and the consequences on students, and provide strategies for teachers and university administration.

Keywords:

Higher education, student well-being, existential anxiety.