A trigger warning is often used at the beginning of a form of media to inform the audience of its content, particularly when the content may be found offensive. After looking at a handful of articles I would now define a trigger warning as attachments to media that provide a reader a heads up on certain material that may cause reactions due to graphic descriptions. The intended use of trigger warnings is to make the audience aware, particularly victims of various kinds of violence, of the upcoming content to avoid a reminder of their traumatic experience. The use of trigger warnings is favored by some and disliked by others. Arguments regarding trigger warnings suggest that these warnings protect the individual, but another viewpoint implies …show more content…
In her article, she refers to college as a place to broaden knowledge, “It is, hopefully, a space where the student is challenged and sometimes frustrated and sometimes deeply upset, a place where the student's world expands and pushes them to reach the outer edges – not a place that contracts to meet the student exactly where they are” (Filipovic). From this previous statement, we can conclude that the unexpected in college challenges a student to push their knowledge; however, we should not adapt the learning process to meet students’ needs. A trigger warning serves as protection against a wide range of controversial categories. It is true multiple things could trigger an emotional response, even things as little as skulls, blood, or pregnancy. The discretion on whether a topic can send a student into emotional turmoil is unpredictable. The Internet offers a wide range of content compared to the available classroom literature. A trigger warning could be beneficial when used as a compromise. If we were to apply trigger warnings to content that contained graphic scenes, we could still include the beneficial information while avoiding the exemption of the material. Even adding trigger warnings when it is necessary shuts down areas of discussion. Students should freely defend their own ideas and explore the opinions of others (Filipovic). Ultimately a trigger warning has less positive aspects but has greater negative contributions in the