Was skeptical about trigger warnings in class until a student told me they helped her study

I figured trigger warnings were just coddling until a sophomore in my literature seminar said she used them to prepare for reading about sexual assault so she wouldn't get too upset during her shift at the hospital after class. It made me think maybe they're more about planning than avoiding tough topics. Do you see them as mostly useful or do they limit free exchange of ideas on campus?

2 comments

2 Comments

aaron6779d ago

Oh man, YES that is such a good point. I've been saying the same thing to people who think trigger warnings are just about avoiding discomfort. It's like giving someone a heads up so they can steel themselves or pick the right moment to engage. For your student, it was about managing her emotional energy around her hospital job, not dodging the material. I bet a lot of students use them to schedule their heavier reading for when they have time to process it, like on a weekend instead of right before an exam. Honestly, if a note in a syllabus stops someone from having a panic attack during a lecture, that seems way better for free discussion than having them walk out or shut down completely.

leo_kelly9d ago

Totally agree @aaron677, I had a classmate who used them exactly like that.