UW needs to ban trigger warnings and safe spaces

Trigger warnings and safe spaces are excuses for people who feel uncomfortable talking about sensitive topics to just avoid them completely. They limit what can be said and what can be experienced both in and out of the classroom, and they completely disregard what happens in the real world.

Some people, however, are just too nervous to give up trigger warnings and safe spaces. Even Madison’s University Health Services recommends trigger warnings and safe spaces be used in classrooms.

Supposedly, they will help protect students’ mental health by providing barriers to controversial or intense subject matter. University Health Services even suggests professors give students the option of alternative reading materials if a student finds the current ones too disturbing.

They don’t, however, actually say how triggering reactions can cause mental health problems in students. It sounds like they’re just trying to play it safe.

A lot of people don’t want to play it safe when it comes to controversial topics, and the Dean of Students at the University of Chicago is one of them.

In a letter to his incoming freshman class, he said ‘our commitment to academic freedom means we do not support so-called ‘trigger warnings,’ we do not cancel invited speakers because their topics might prove controversial, and we do not condone the creation of intellectual ‘safe spaces’ where individuals can retreat from ideas and perspectives at odds with their own.’ Obviously, he can respect some healthy disagreement.

Trigger warnings, at their core, are statements at the beginning of a video or piece of writing which alert the audience of distressing or uncomfortable content.

It basically says ‘look out, there’s going to be some intense shit happening.’

Similarly, a safe space is a place where guidelines are put in place so nothing too provoking or unsettling gets brought up.

Both attempt to make learning, viewing, and discussing more comfortable for students. However, learning is not about being comfortable.

Last year, UW’s Board of Regents passed a resolution defending the principles of freedom of speech and expression in response to some students’ push for ‘safe spaces.’ It has since been decided it is not the role of the university to protect or shield students from ideas they find uncomfortable or disagreeable. Different points of view within the university will frequently conflict one another, but it is important that students are exposed to all types of ideas and viewpoints.

UW-Madison is taking a tip from UChicago. This fall, UW-Madison has launched a program titled ‘On Wisconsin‘ with the goal of reducing hate and bias on campus. Donald Downs, a retired political science professor from UW, explains there’s no growth in students if they are only exposed to ideas they agree with.

Hopefully, the program will help to eliminate barriers of diversity on campus and create a climate in which everyone’s thoughts and ideas can be heard. It is through this exposure to contrasting ideas that students are able to not only grow intellectually, but also develop appreciation for multiple different perspectives.

There is value in experiencing the ‘shock’ of an intense video, openly discussing racism, or questioning a new opinion.

Being exposed to ideas and viewpoints which are unfamiliar and even uncomfortable to us are necessary for questioning our own points of view. This is where real learning happens.

Yes, it can be scary. Sexual assault, racism, and violence are all difficult topics, but they’re also topics that matter.

You don’t get a warning when something bad is about to happen, and you don’t get to create safe spaces in your everyday life. Using safe spaces and trigger warnings do not prepare students for experiences they could have in the real world.

When it comes to sensitive subjects, we don’t need to brace ourselves for the impact. We need to be ready to experience things naturally, no matter how intense or controversial, and we should refuse to be limited.