Argument Essay: Trigger Warnings For College Students

We live in a world that is continually becoming more and more sensitive to the opinions and controversies going on around us, especially in the setting of a classroom. Which has lead to controversy and rigorous discussion on whether or not students should be given a warning on when said topics could be spoken upon through what is called a “trigger warning”. As well, when a sensitive topic is to be spoken on in class, there is a growing concept of having a “safe space” to retreat to if needed. Some of the main topics that may be threatening towards someone’s mind set sparsely include: sexual assault, suicide, murder, genocide, war, and any other horrors that may have the ability to bring a student back into a tragic event or occurrence they have gone through. Although “trigger

I have had a hard time pinpointing my exact thoughts while going through a form of cognitive dissonance. I tell myself “You don’t know what other people have gone through, so you can’t justify the argument.” But after telling myself that is an unfair accusation, I have come to a better understanding of why I disagree with it solely on the purpose of academia. The main problem I come across is where do you draw the line? At what point would students simply use this as an excuse to avoid class and what happens if it were to become something that is a daily disturbance in class? I also believe that teachers would have to alter their syllabi and classwork fastidiously to make sure each and every student would feel comfortable. As a student, I pay to go to school to learn to the highest of my ability. But there is no way that would be possible if trigger warnings and safe spaces started to dominate the academia around me. We must be able to find a way to help students outside of the classroom, while keeping classroom discussion open and honest at the most consistent