The Importance Of Trigger Warnings

I am an individual. I know what foods I like. I know what shows I like to watch. I know what I like to read and I know what gets me upset. That being said, I recognize that who I am is not who others are. I am able to comprehend that others bury their issues. Others have backgrounds I could never begin to imagine. backgrounds they would rather remain locked away in the back of their minds never to experience the light of day. This is simply due to the fact that a portion of memories too painful for reappearance 's. And therein lies the necessity of trigger warnings used in the event that a class is addressing topics such as abuse (of any kind), trauma, violence, racism, sexism. The usual offenders. If it could potentially give someone a …show more content…
Critics that claim that these warnings act as shields from the inevitability of reality fail to recognize that more often than not these trigger warnings are for those who have already experienced a reality that they would rather not relive. That reason alone should be enough to negate any critics ' argument completely. But what of the students that would simply experience discomfort in the event that being exposed to merely sensitive and uncomfortable topics are approached? It all depends on the individual 's awareness of their limits and their own discretion. As college students, the expectation is that you are mature enough to make your own decisions on what is beneficial and what is detrimental to you. The obvious assertion is if you can 't discern that distinction at this level in your education as well as in your life, it is likely you are in the middle of an early life crisis and college is light-years ahead of you. Students should be allowed optimal information to carry out the most informed, responsible decisions they can with reference to their education, and, in fact, their lives as they are adults now. A fraction of that information may include trigger warnings. Those could be anything from a simple disclaimer in a syllabus at the beginning of the year to detailed descriptions from the teacher on what to expect prior to the experience in the …show more content…
The debate is whether or not students should have the right to decide for themselves what is best in a situation where trigger warnings would protect their mental health. Trigger warnings are simply a harmless disclaimer, a request for consent of exposure, a happy medium between sheltering students and sending them off to experience first hand the subject of the warnings. Which motivates me to boldly state with utter certainty that the DePauw administration should require all faculty to use trigger warnings when addressing certain topics because it allows for the basic right of one to possess control by consenting to exposure, it 's harmless but beneficial to those who would otherwise suffer emotionally, it is by no means censorship, and it is inevitably a