The phrase “Trigger Warning” often gets a great deal of criticism, particularly in college settings. In an article titled, “The Coddling of American Minds,” the author discusses how trigger warnings are harmful to a student’s learning, and are simply political correctness gone too far. Other articles, have argued that adding trigger warnings to assignments or using them in class could be considered censorship. While these articles are widely read, I think that these authors have missed the point of trigger warnings entirely.
For full disclosure, this paragraph has sensitive content about mental illness and suicide.* During my first week of school, I sat in a classroom discussing communication, when the professor began playing a short film. The Phone Call, an Academy Award winning short film, shows a conversation between a woman working for a crisis hotline, and a man who has taken pills in an attempt to commit suicide. While speaking with him, the woman tries desperately to get him to open up so she can get him help, but he refuses. *Spoiler* Though she eventually figures out his address and send help, it is too late and the man dies while on the phone with her. While it was a beautifully shot and moving film, I was not prepared to watch such sensitive and harsh content in that class period.
As a person who struggles with anxiety and depression, watching this film without warning was upsetting and lead me to have a massive panic attack. I wish there had been a trigger warning on the syllabus or the professor had told us before the film started. Many people think trigger warnings are ways for young people to avoid talking about topics that they don’t like, or an escape tactic to get away from people they disagree with. This could not be farther from the truth. Trigger warnings allow people who struggle with various mental illnesses or experiences to prepare for or excuse themselves from situations that may cause them to be in distress mentally or physically.
If I had had a trigger warning in my class, I would have had time to prepare myself for the content or excuse myself if I needed to. I would not have disrupted the rest of the class or impeded their learning, but rather I would have had the opportunity to take care of my own well being. Luckily, I had support and I am mentally well enough to move past this experience, but it may have affected another person with depression or a history with suicide entirely differently. For some people, watching content like this without notice could trigger harmful thoughts that could lead to dangerous actions. Situations like these make warnings necessary when topics like mental illness, suicide and sexual assault are being discussed.
The part that discouraged me the most about this experience is that I was afraid to talk to my professor following the class. Not because he was intimidating or mean, but rather I was afraid that he would respond the same way I have seen in these articles. I was afraid that I was overreacting and being weak, because that’s what I’ve been told trigger warnings mean. This is the issue. People are being shamed for reaching out and asking to use the tools they know to cope with mental illness. We have warnings on movies and television shows alerting audiences to violence or mature content, so why is it so different on college campuses? Asking for a heads up about sensitive content can be extremely hard and it shouldn’t have to be a negative experience. It is not a sign of weakness or censorship, instead it is a way for people to protect themselves and their health. Trigger warnings are one of the first steps to ending the stigma surrounding mental illnesses on college campuses, and I think it’s time to start listening to those who ask for them.
*This is an example of a trigger warning. It does not need to be obtrusive or affect the content. It simply alerts the reader that if they are affected by these issues, they may choose not to read the paragraph.
