Are you triggered?

In recent years a movement has been on the rise. Driven largely by students, there is a growing quest to scour entire campuses clean of words, ideas and subjects that may cause discomfort or give offense. This increasing demand for protection from words and ideas students don’t like, known as “trigger words”, is a topic taken very seriously at McGill. Overall, it has led to a culture in which everyone must think twice before speaking up, lest they face possible accusations of insensitivity, aggression, or worse.

This new-found vulnerability towards micro-aggressions is a big change for many, and it is a culture clash in its own when it comes to simply understanding what exactly a “trigger word” can be. Seemingly innocuous topics of discussion such as euthanasia, war, and books like Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart are now forbidden in some places (not in Canada) for portraying racial violence that can “trigger” the recurrence of past trauma in some students. However, after the events that unfolded at Yale and Mizzou, the underlying reasons for this issue become open for debate. Both of these incidents, related to the weaponization of “safe space” are worth a read.

The ultimate aim is to turn campuses into “safe spaces” where young adults are shielded from words and ideas that make some uncomfortable and actually, measures have already been taken to do so. For example, all students residing in McGill Dorms must attend a mandatory 3-hour session on how to exercise such a safe space. Although it is argued that avoiding the things that cause fear can affect the perception on mental health, this concept is a reality that many college students will experience. So next time you find yourself within the McGill bubble, feel free ask someone “what is a safe space?” to get their take on the whole situation.

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John Nnamchi is a Canadian student at McGill University and will contribute his Montreal perspectives in each issue of the MLT.