Why I Use Trigger Warnings

Trigger warnings are facing criticism, with professors who use them accused of coddling students and students who request them labeled 'infantile.' Critics argue that these warnings hinder intellectual growth and lead to a culture where discomfort is avoided, as highlighted by authors like Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt.

Trigger warnings originated in online communities to help individuals with PTSD avoid potentially distressing content. In universities, professors like Manne use them to notify students of potentially disturbing material, not to encourage skipping but to allow sensitive individuals to prepare and manage their reactions, acknowledging that many students may have experienced trauma.

Manne agrees that college should foster intellectual and emotional development, requiring students to engage with difficult ideas. She distinguishes between reasoned responses and 'triggered' reactions, which are involuntary and can temporarily impair rational thought, similar to intense nausea or panic attacks experienced by those with PTSD. Trigger warnings aim to prevent these rationally eclipsing states, enabling students to engage effectively with course material.

Issuing trigger warnings is a simple act, often just an extra line in an email, and has minimal cost to students who don't need them. It can also raise awareness among classmates about others' sensitivities. Manne dismisses the idea that this practice fosters a 'culture of victimhood' as alarmist. She also critiques the analogy to exposure therapy, arguing that unexpected exposure to triggering material is counterproductive.

Manne emphasizes that professors must use their judgment to determine when and how to issue trigger warnings, without formulaic rules or top-down administrative mandates. Warnings should be reserved for genuinely traumatizing content, not merely offensive political or religious sensibilites. She views the willingness to use trigger warnings as a pedagogical best practice that supports rational engagement for all students.