The Coddling of the American Mind

Although being cautious and sensitive are typically viewed as beneficial ways to approach other individuals, this article serves to inform its readers that this can be a dangerous way of thinking and acting. The major ideas of this article, which include "trigger warnings" and "protection", offer justification and reasoning for the danger of coddling American students. As I college student, I feel like I am able to offer a relevant viewpoint in regards to whether or not students are being coddled. I, too, hold that there is a certain level of sensitivity that dangerously confines students from the outside world, ultimately distorting their way of coping with uncomfortable situations--situations that will inevitably occur throughout life.

"Trigger warnings" serve to prevent students from reading, viewing, or otherwise experiencing situations that could be offensive or provocative. These warnings are effective in aiding those individuals who have endured offensive situations in the past with a caution and awareness for what they may come into contact with. Although these warnings may be quite beneficial for individuals who struggle with maintaining mental stability, they do not allow these individuals to overcome these difficult situations firsthand; rather, these warning widen the gap and distance they have to attaining normalcy again. I believe it is extremely important for individuals who struggle in this department to minimize their fears and anxiety by overcoming these uncomfortable, or previously offensive, situations gradually through the recognition that you cannot always prevent yourself from enduring stressful encounters.

Another term used throughout the article was "protection". There was an interesting example of how, over the decades, parental and authoritative protection has intensified to a point that is unhealthy for personal growth in their children. It is noted that children used to have "free range" in playing after school outside without extreme parental guidance. Nowadays, children are extremely confined to indoor games and are supervised in essentially every activity they become a part of. Of course it is important to establish a safe place for children because there have certainly been instances where children have extended beyond their boundaries and, consequently, have found themselves in life threatening situations--potential of abduction. In order to establish a sense of freedom and protection in lives of children, I find it important to gradually reduce the amount of protection as the child grows older. If a child is unable to discover how to individually protect themselves in the world--whether this be from people or ideas.


Moreover, this extreme sense of protection and need to establish warnings is somewhat illiberal. American society coddles students to the point where they are essentially incapable of freely reacting to uncomfortable situations; instead, institutions and rules serve to do this for them. Indeed, it may be beneficial to have guidelines in place in order to maintain sensitivity in school so that inhumane statements aren't thrown around chaotically; nevertheless, this undermines the potential of human beings to overcome these stressful situations with their own will, power, and integrity. I am aware that even human integrity is sometimes too weak to defeat the injustices of our world; however, I am also aware that quitting and succumbing to this institutionalized way of protection is not healthy for the growth of individual strength and fortitude.