By now, you've likely seen the viral letter from the dean of the University of Chicago, declaring that the university does not support or establish "safe spaces" and "trigger warnings." I highly recommend you read the letter in it's entirety.
As expected, the letter has received incredible praise by those who identify with as conservative or even the "alt right," while also generating significant backlash from "SJW's" or those who identify as liberal.
And of course there are many who find their opinion on the subject somewhere in the middle.
I suspect, I know where the majority of Steemit users fall on the matter, but I wanted to go deeper into the psychology and philosophy of "trigger warnings" and "safe spaces" and have a productive conversation on what this means for society as a whole.
It's my intention for this article to help those better form an educated opinion on the issue, so I strongly encourage you to share your thoughts.
What Are "Trigger Warnings" and "Safe Spaces?"
Of course, before we have an educated discussion on the matter, it's important we first define a few key terms.
At its most basic level, a "trigger warning" is... "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."
Essentially, it's a heads up that the content proceeding might be offending or disturbing to some.
Trigger warnings aren't new by any measure. For the last decade or so, many T.V shows have put these in place for those viewing at home.
However, recently, trigger warnings have begun expanding into a variety other social scenarios, before a speech, at at univeristy, sharing links on social media etc.
A safe space on the other hand is generally more specific to the academic setting -- According to the SafeSpaceNetwork, "A Safe Space is a place where anyone can relax and be able to fully express, without fear of being made to feel uncomfortable, unwelcome, or unsafe on account of biological sex, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, cultural background, religious affiliation, age, or physical or mental ability."
We have also seen the acceptance of safe spaces pop up in the work space, social gatherings, and institutions of higher learning. There has also been a significant push for popular social media networks to do their best to encourage a safe space environment.
The concepts of safe spaces and trigger warnings are generally prominent in the western civilized world such as North America and most parts of Europe.
When speaking to my friend in Brazil for example he responded, "What the fuck is a safe space?"
That being said, I have seen evidence that safe spaces and trigger warnings are starting to be pushed for on a global scale.
The Case For Safe Spaces and Trigger Warnings
The truth is, life is incredibly difficult. Many of us have suffered tremendous tragedy in our years here on earth.
Some have lost their parents. Others have experienced sexual abuse. Some have been on the receiving end of both emotional and physcial violence, and others have experienced other forms of extreme pain based primarily on their identity, gender, age, sex, and race.
As such, it's perfectly reasonable to assume many of us are fighting battles that might not be completely "understood." Our experiences have a tremendous impact on our world view.
In trying to better understand this complex subject, I read two insightful articles on why the University of Chicago made the "wrong" decision. Again, I encourage you to give both the articles a read.
Why UChicago is Wrong About “Safe Spaces” and “Trigger Warnings”
"We DO need to talk about how the concepts of “safe spaces” and
“trigger warnings” have been taken advantage of on some occasions and
why there need to be areas — and many of them — that promote
no-holds-barred intellectual discussions that require a certain
discomfort on the part of participants."
Most of them don’t seem to understand what trigger warnings and safe
spaces even are. I want my students to feel emotionally safe so that
they can take on cognitive challenges from a position of strength.
The Case Against
Of course, many identify with the belief that the world is becoming too "politically correct" and that millennials are growing up ill equipped to handle the harsh realities of the world.
There are no "safe spaces" and "trigger warnings" in the real world.
Objectively this is true.
Life is incredibly tough, and rarely gives you a heads up before unleashing incredible pain and suffering.
Suffering is human. And we shouldn't try to avoid this harsh reality. Furthermore, safe spaces and trigger warnings are by definition subjective. At what point do they go from being helpful to hindering growth and honest discussion?
Who decides safe and what's not? At what point is it just used as an excuse to have difficult conversations?
I found this article for the case against to incredibly insightful.
9 Feminist Arguments Against Using Trigger Warnings in Academia
"Trigger warnings underpin the imagined "safe space" of the classroom.
As a pro-trigger warning student said in the New York Times, these
warnings would ideally eradicate a student's feeling of entrapment:
"People suddenly feel a very real threat to their safety — even if it
is perceived. They are stuck in a classroom where they can’t get out,
or if they do try to leave, it is suddenly going to be very public."
A Happy Medium?
When I was in highschool, my best friend died in a tragic jet ski accident. Unfortunately, I present during what was the worst time in my life.
Even though that happened nearly ten years ago, to this day, whenever I see the sea, my mind immediately flashes back to intense and very difficult images.
It's hard for me to process.
I say this not to compare my "tragic" events with yours or others, but to say with absolute certainty there are events that trigger our minds in ways we can't control.
Without explicitly knowing the situations of those who have suffered, I have immense empathy for those who have found them in traumatic life events.
I understand, that a rape survivor, might not want to watch a movie with a scene or rape. I understand someone who suffers from an eating disorder might not want to discuss that subject matter for class.
I can only imagine the pain many of you have been through.
emphasized text
And while I believe at it's core intentions behind safe spaces and trigger warnings are pure -- I have seen evidence the labels can be abused which ends up doing more harm than good.
I also acknowledge the fact, that as adults we have the right and obligation to take full control of our lives. We have the right to partake or not to partake in a particular discussion. We have a right to avoid certain subject matters.
From an academic standpoint, I see no wrongdoing in warning students what the material might cover. We should always use our best judgement on whether or not we feel we are emotionally capable of participating.
My issues with safe spaces and trigger warnings come from the the potential abuse of these labels by a minority of individuals.
Safe spaces and trigger warnings should never distract from having an honest and civilized discussion. It should never prevent willing particpants to have discussions that are uncomfortable - that is how we grow.
While my views on the matter are somewhere in the middle, I do understand both perspectives. And I wish more people would be willing to put in the time and effort to understand differing opinions.
Causing chaos for the sake of chaos should be avoided, but it also should be allowed. Giving indiviuals the information needed to make an educated decision should also be encouraged, but not strictly enforced.
What are your views on space space and trigger warnings? Do you think they add to society? Or do they end up doing more harm than good?
I'd love to hear your thoughts!
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