By "arbitrarily take on debt for years", are they referring to myth that you need to carry a balance on a credit card to help your credit score?
If you aren't aware, that is very much incorrect. All you're doing is lining the pockets of the credit card company. Pay your credit card statement in full each month and don't carry a balance to avoid paying interest.
There are certain exceptions, but I'm considering them out of scope for this case.