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.
Bravo.
My sincere thanks to both of you (nice to meet you Mr. Snyder) for this fantastic short! Especially how you filled every space available. I had to pause it a lot to catch everything. I happen to agree with you, so not using trigger warnings will better prepare students for living in the wider world. We simply can’t child-proof the 🌎.