Earlier quoted context omitted.
There are many who would argue that the willingness of a 18 year old to shoulder enormous financial responsibility to gain benefits largely denied to them by the way modern American society is constructed is not a real defense of the reasonableness of student loans.
There are lot's of other options than taking out massive loans. Community College for two years then transferring to a state school is still fairly affordable and won't impact the vast majority of individuals in post-college job searches/careers. It's just a lot less fun than going to a Big 10 school or the big name school.
Well-endowed private schools often offer more grant-based financial assistance than public schools, to the extent that the net cost for people who aren't upper income can be less than CC plus state school, as well as providing much better career prospects.