As you may have heard, the University of Chicago recently sent out a letter to its incoming freshmen saying that they do not support "so-called 'trigger warnings.'" They believe that using these warnings and creating "safe spaces" will stifle the open academic discussion that they pride themselves on.

Unfortunately, they're not alone in this opinion. Many colleges believe using trigger warnings is an infringement of students' first amendment rights, and that using them is a sign that the youth of America today just can't handle the real world. "Reality doesn't have trigger warnings" is a popular argument.

The only problem with that is that reality does have trigger warnings. Movie ratings tell us what age is appropriate to watch it and what we can expect. Video games are rated by age group. Nutrition labels tell us what we're eating and drinking. They allow you to make sure what you're consuming doesn't have anything that could harm you or cause an allergic reaction. Even books, music, and board games include the appropriate ages in their directions. Trigger warnings are just that: warnings. They aren't censors, they don't require eliminating all discussion of material that could be considered sensitive. Using them in the classroom is as simple as professors giving students a heads-up that the movie they've been assigned may be graphic. Students can do with that what they will.

The fact that safe spaces and trigger warnings are being advocated for doesn't mean that college kids today are weak or that we can't handle what previous generations went through. It's a sign that we've learned from past experiences and we're more empathetic and in tune with our emotional needs, and the needs of others. It's okay to not suck it up and plow through. Sometimes you need to prepare yourself for a tough discussion. If you've been affected by sexual assault, reading or watching graphic rape scenes could be triggering. Likewise with people who have experienced abuse, or have been affected by racism, alcoholism, drug use--the list goes on. Letting other students mentally prepare themselves for something that may otherwise be hard for them allows them to be in control of their exposure to the topic.

Of course, not everyone who has experienced these things needs a trigger warning or is affected by such discussions. That's okay too. People experience these things in many different ways. Trigger warnings are just a way of covering all the bases in case someone is sensitive to a particular topic. It may vary from person to person, and it will probably vary from day to day. That's why trigger warnings are good for open discussions: they allow the person to choose how much they want to interact with a particular subject. It's better to get a heads-up beforehand than have to deal with an anxiety attack, flashbacks, or disassociation later.

Just like every student has the right to free speech, every student has the right to feel safe at school. A safe space isn't a locked, padded room where students go to cry because someone disagreed with them. Ideally, a space space would be somewhere where every opinion can be expressed without fear of judgement. It's a place where a student can talk about their experiences without retribution, and that can be a classroom, a counselor's office, or their professor's office.

Trigger warnings don't stifle group discussion or debate--in fact, they can facilitate them in a more understanding and complex way. For example, if a book has an offensive term in it (such as the N-word) it opens a discussion on why it's inappropriate, and why it's in the book in the first place. Does it add to the story? Is it important in the context of what you're reading? It's these kinds of intellectual discussions that colleges want their students to have in class, and by using trigger warnings and discussing triggers with students, educators allow them to open up their minds and become more aware of others' needs as well as their own.

In conclusion, most people who advocate against trigger warnings simply don't understand what they actually are, and don't realize how simple it is to enact them. They can open up discussion and help students reach their full potential without damaging their mental health. Schools should care about every aspect of their students, not just their GPAs or what sports teams they're on. Educating young minds means helping the ones that need help. If you can't do that, you're not doing your job as an educator, and that's worse than not participating in a discussion.