2. “These examples may seem extreme, but the reasoning behind them has become more commonplace on campus in recent years” (para. 26). Explain this reasoning in your own words and quote from the text in your response. Also, consider the claim critically. Do you agree? Why or why not? Give reasons!

This reasoning is that people appear to be able to become offended by almost anything these days. The authors state, “The thin argument “I’m offended” becomes an unbeatable trump card…the bar for what we consider unacceptable speech is lowered further and further”. By saying this they mean that by making it almost impossible to dispute someone’s claim of offense, it has become almost a lost cause to fight back against such allegations. Subsequently, it makes people feel the need to constantly be walking on eggshells around people for fear of accidentally offending them. I agree with this to an extent.

I can definitely see that people are finding possibly too much offense in a statement or phrase that just simply hold that much power. I believe the problem might not be in just the words, however. I think a lot of the power is held in the tone and the delivery of the words. Someone can be called something insanely stupid but if the deliverer of the insult spits it out with such viciousness in their voice and insurmountable hatred behind their eyes, it is easy to understand why someone might become offended, even if they don’t completely understand the words actually spoken. So, to me, yes, the bar might be lower, however this is not caused solely by extra sensitive youth, but by a surge of hatred that is most definitely coursing this country.

3. What’s wrong with “fortune telling and trigger warnings” (para 31+). This question invites you to say what the authors think is wrong with them AND to think about it for yourself. It’s ok to disagree with the text – with reasons!

The authors believe that “fortune telling and trigger warnings” are causing the minds of the youth to become even more susceptible to further damage. They specifically really lean in to the notion that you drive someone deeper into their anxieties by allowing them to avoid the very thing causing such feelings. This can be seen by the authors stating, “However, there is a deeper problem with trigger warnings. According to the most-basic tenets of psychology, the very idea of helping people with anxiety disorders avoid the things they fear is misguided”. They also claim that it is causing teaching to become harder. The teachers must start fortune telling in order to avoid harming students. This can be seen with the authors stating, “the easiest way for faculty to stay out of trouble is to avoid material that might upset the most sensitive student in the class”. I can see why the authors might believe this however, I think they are being slightly insensitive.

Of course this article is about younger generations and students, however I feel as though the authors are being a little harsh, almost callous in the way they are talking about all of this. This could be completely off base, but I have feeling that if a young woman were to ask the authors to include trigger warnings and a middle aged man were to ask for trigger warnings they would get completely different responses, even if they both have experienced similar trauma and have the same trigger words. I don’t mean to appear biased just because they authors are older men, but I fear they are putting too much blame in the youth for having trauma and not enough in the heartlessness of the older generations. Nowadays, the stigma behind showing and feeling emotions has weakened, however the older generations still have the idea that they mustn’t project anything onto others, that they must keep it inside and push it down. The authors have failed to fully realize that times are changing for the better. Of course, there is still that layer of perhaps too much protection the youth have surrounding their minds but I don’t see it in such a contrasting negative light as the authors do.