Sensitivity in Society: Allowing Ourselves to Grow

The New York Times recently published an article about the new concept of “trigger warnings” on novels. These warnings are designed to alert students that certain concepts in the book may incite past traumatic memories or emotions. Unsurprisingly, the idea has been met with much criticism and debate.This concept of catering to every student’s emotional needs shows the degradation of the backbone in our society. Today, as we move farther and farther into the misty future, it seems as though our youth are getting too comfortable, attempting to bend the rules to fit their standards. That we’ve reached the point at which an individual needs to be forewarned that a book may bring back emotions is ludicrous. People have grown too comfortable clinging to insulated and fluffy things, and they refuse to come face to face with the gritty reality of things. Parents have gone too far in preserving the innocence of their children; they’ve kept them coddled in their arms for far too long. Numerous articles have already been written about this concept—the idea that we have become too sensitive.Anytime a controversial word is said, like a racial slur, even if it’s simply the slip of the tongue and no harm is inflicted, it’s made into a huge deal. The issue lies in that the authority and the adults around us refuse to confront these intense subjects—so they simply punish individuals before any arguments can be made.This idea is also seen in recent cases of children going to school with play weapons and being suspended. Parents and authorities are unwilling to risk anything and take the smallest indication of danger and blow it out of proportion. They simply overreact to any situation, throwing consequences before investigating their own logic further. While it’s understandable that schools should be careful with weapons in light of recent events, it’s still undeniably unreasonable to suspend a child for bringing a plastic gun or knife to school.So where do these cases drive us? These ideas and an upward trend of overprotection have now driven us to “trigger words,” where we think it’s ideal to warn students of anything that could deal them emotional harm in a book. This is simply disrespectful to the authors and to literature itself. All books deserve to be read, especially when the subject matter pushes us out of our comfort zones. In reality, the gritty subject matter of a book that rouses emotions within us is the most important aspect of the novel. Books drive us to explore our own emotions and feelings. For an author, a novel is a way to express him or herself freely through words. And now, suddenly their books are locked in chains with warning labels—doomed to be left on the shelf by certain students.With the increase of over protective measures, it’s only a matter of time before we face the effects. What will happen when the youth of our society is called upon to rise and take positions of power? Will we simply cower at a novel containing sensitive material? Or will we properly handle the writing—reading and understanding the material, allowing ourselves to grow as individuals.