Why We Don’t Use Trigger Warnings — An Animated Guide

What are trigger warnings? How are they used in college classrooms? Are they effective? In this engaging animated video, Amna Khalid and Jeff Snyder address these questions and come to a surprising conclusion: Revisiting the trigger warning debate in light of new research, they find no evidence that trigger warnings support students’ mental health. What’s more, they conclude that the use of trigger warnings pushes both students and faculty members to avoid studying vital topics that are perceived as too “distressing.” The end result: by contributing to a misguided safety-and-security model of education, trigger warnings ultimately deprive all students of the most powerful learning opportunities.