TRIGGER WARNING

I can pretty much guarantee that if you have any type of social media account, you have seen the recent outbreak of memes depicting ridiculous scenarios that has "triggered" or "trigger warning" on them. Ignore them. Don't acknowledge them, don't share them, don't even like them. After a while, they will fade out of existence like so many other overused memes. Triggers and trigger warnings are a lot more than just a meme. Some examples of them are:

Mental disorders are actual, real things. And joking about them does not help with the problem. Studies show that 1 in 4 people have some sort of mental disorder so chances are you know someone going through that or maybe you do yourself. I will say this once, A TRIGGER DOES NOT MAKE SOMEONE UNCOMFORTABLE! Triggers can cause anxiety attacks and panic attacks, trembling, sweating, flashbacks of a horrible event, unable to breathe, fidgeting, uncontrollable sobbing, and much more.

Triggers can come from anywhere so putting a trigger warning at the beginning of a piece about a sensitive topic can potentially prevent those circumstances by warning the person instead of it appearing suprisingly. It is not a spoiler alert, it is a message to proceed with caution. Something as small as a firecracker to us can have a horrendous impact on a military veteran with PTSD returning from war. Grabbing a person's arm too forcefully can cause a rape or sexual assault victim to fall into an inconsolable state. Yelling can make a domestic abuse victim fall to the floor crying, unable to breathe. Please be respectful.

If the beginning of a movie or show says viewer discretion is advised or a chip packaging says may contain nuts, no one bats an eye but if an article says trigger warning, everyone looses their minds. It is the same exact thing. A trigger warning is just that, a warning, for what can be expected just like a movie that might have blood or a granola bar that may contain nuts or dairy. Just because the effects are mental and not physical does not make it any less dangerous.

A trigger warning is defined as "a statement at the start of a piece of writing, video, etc., alerting the reader or viewer to the fact that it contains potentially distressing material". Trigger warning originated to help PTSD victims. For those who don't know, PTSD stands for post-traumatic stress disorder and can develop after living through a shocking or dangerous experience that includes but is not limited to rape, sexual/physical/verbal abuse, car accident, natural disaster, military, an emergency responder in a traumatic event, child abuse, death of a loved one, etc.

There is a huge debate occurring over the use of trigger warnings, mostly on college campuses. In a story posted in The Atlantic, the authors Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt describe them as part of a movement, "undirected and driven largely by students, to scrub campuses clean of words, ideas, and subjects that might cause discomfort or give offense."

The director of women's and gender studies at Kutztown University, Colleen Lutz Clemens, recently did an interview with the Philly Mag regarding trigger warnings and the University of Chicago's recent decision to do away with Safe Spaces and trigger warnings. She was my professor for my intro to women's and gender studies class and includes a trigger warning on her syllabus saying "If at any point you must leave the class, please do so quietly. Several of the readings could be triggers, and I want you to feel safe in the class at all times." Clemens responds to a question about the University of Chicago understanding trigger warnings with, "You know, the genesis of trigger warnings was in women and gender studies classes, and that’s probably part of why there’s outrage. These types of classes have always been controversial. Anything that has to do with women’s empowerment is a flashpoint. Honoring somebody’s identity and using language that honors that identity is not going to break America." The stigma that trigger warnings are coddling the millennials, today's youth, is a scapegoat that every generation puts forth. Clemens even goes as far as saying, "Maybe I have to put a trigger warning on because these kids have been coddled and shielded by their parents."

On a different note, if you yourself is going through anxiety, depression, PTSD, etc. just know that you are not alone. Don’t be afraid to get help from friends, family, or a professional. A lot of people are going through the same thing and talking does help. Remember, you are the only one that knows what you are feeling. DO NOT try and let society tell you what you are going through or tell you that what you are going through doesn't matter and isn't real.. You are not alone.

To wrap up, I am begging you, please be respectful to your friends, family, acquaintances. You don't know what they are going through. Triggers are serious and can be very dangerous. I am going to leave you with a picture I made up myself. Enjoy!