Why Trigger Warnings can not be Implemented
In recent discussions of trigger warnings, a controversial issue has been whether college and universities should enforce this movement that prevent students from being exposed to important academic content. A trigger warning is, according to the article The Coddling of the Mind by Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff, “Alerts that professors are expected to issue if something in a course might cause a strong emotional response” (Haidt, Lukianoff). These alerts forewarn students who have experienced a trauma, i.e. rape, abuse, race, or so forth about course material that might include any of them. Trigger warnings can not be implemented because most students do not realize how this movement will …show more content…
Overton’s response to the adjustment, “This implies that professors ought to go through their syllabi line by line to consider what might trigger a traumatic memory for some students” (Overton). Notice how he used the word might? How is a professor supposed to know what assignment or book might trigger a traumatic event? Students have to speak up when they do not agree on something and trigger warnings take away from this …show more content…
In Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff’s article The Coddling of the Mind he expresses how trigger warnings might even be viewed as “vindictive protectiveness” as “It is creating a culture in which everyone must think twice before speaking up, lest they face charges of insensitivity, aggression, or worse” (Haidt, Lukianoff). This kind of protectiveness does not benefit a student in any way, mainly because it prevents them from engaging in intellectual discussions with people and ideas that they might not always agree with; a bad aspect if you want to succeed professionally in your career. This article also adds a common saying in education circles, “Don’t teach students what to think; teach them how to think” (Haidt, Lukianoff). By protecting students from course material that is needed in order to prepare them for professional life, a professor is teaching them what to think. By keeping course material with explicit content so that students can actually engage in collegiate discussions with people and ideas without causing a few of their peers
In recent discussions of trigger warnings, a controversial issue has been whether college and universities should enforce this movement that prevent students from being exposed to important academic content. A trigger warning is, according to the article The Coddling of the Mind by Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff, “Alerts that professors are expected to issue if something in a course might cause a strong emotional response” (Haidt, Lukianoff). These alerts forewarn students who have experienced a trauma, i.e. rape, abuse, race, or so forth about course material that might include any of them. Trigger warnings can not be implemented because most students do not realize how this movement will …show more content…
Overton’s response to the adjustment, “This implies that professors ought to go through their syllabi line by line to consider what might trigger a traumatic memory for some students” (Overton). Notice how he used the word might? How is a professor supposed to know what assignment or book might trigger a traumatic event? Students have to speak up when they do not agree on something and trigger warnings take away from this …show more content…
In Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff’s article The Coddling of the Mind he expresses how trigger warnings might even be viewed as “vindictive protectiveness” as “It is creating a culture in which everyone must think twice before speaking up, lest they face charges of insensitivity, aggression, or worse” (Haidt, Lukianoff). This kind of protectiveness does not benefit a student in any way, mainly because it prevents them from engaging in intellectual discussions with people and ideas that they might not always agree with; a bad aspect if you want to succeed professionally in your career. This article also adds a common saying in education circles, “Don’t teach students what to think; teach them how to think” (Haidt, Lukianoff). By protecting students from course material that is needed in order to prepare them for professional life, a professor is teaching them what to think. By keeping course material with explicit content so that students can actually engage in collegiate discussions with people and ideas without causing a few of their peers