- The authors define (and italicize) the terms microaggressions and trigger warnings and offer a set of examples they think “border on the surreal.” They draw a distinction between what they term “political correctness” of the 1980s and 1990s and what they think is happening today. What, on their view, is that difference and why does it matter for education? What do you make of their ideas in the first section of the article? Be sure to quote from the text in your response.
The idea of political correctness from the 80’s and 90’s was to eliminate hate speech to allow more perspectives to be spoken about. But today’s political correctness is about preserving the emotional well-being of everyone around you. This shift in the meaning of political correctness attempts to acknowledge the subjects that certain individuals may find extremely sensitive or triggering. The first section of the article makes the idea of political correctness sound irrational or dangerous to the education system but it really does allow for students to feel safer in their learning environment. The article states, “The ultimate aim, it seems, is to turn campuses into “safe spaces” where young adults are shielded from words and ideas that make some uncomfortable” but those words and ideas are not just simply making someone uncomfortable, they could cause someone with mental illness (such as PTSD, anxiety, depression, etc.) to have an episode or spiral. Mental illness has become more common to talk about with others, so why not try to be empathetic and listen to those who might be suffering in silence? In the final sentence of the section it states that the new idea of political correctness “is creating a culture in which everyone must think twice before speaking up,” but weren’t we all taught this idea of thinking before we speak?
- Consider the second section of the article, “How Did We Get Here?” The authors offer a kind of historical/social diagnosis for what they see on campuses. Attempt a brief (2-3 sentence) summary of the section and draw a text-to-self connection to a specific passage (quote). You might agree or disagree with them in your connection – or both, if it seems appropriate.
The section “How did we get here?” discusses the possible points and events in our recent history that led to overwhelming numbers of students with mental illnesses. In short, children born in the 80’s and 90’s were brought up with more protection from their parents due to higher rates of crimes in the years previous. Once those children and those born past the year 2000 were introduced to the internet and social media, the infinite expanse of information, more sensitive topics were discussed and more mental health issues surfaced.
The increased rate of crime that caused parents to shelter their children played a huge part in what the world looks like today. The article reiterates something that most individuals had heard as a child, “life is dangerous, but adults will do everything in their power to protect you from harm, not just from strangers but from one another as well.” For me, this statement is only true for my parents and brothers who have always tried to protect me. But it’s not true for everyone, and not everyone’s problems can be solved or stopped by just their parents telling them they are safe. Now that I am older, I understand that life is dangerous and sometimes you can’t help what happens to you, and you need to be willing to listen and help others if they need you. I have tried my best to learn not to be afraid of the world, even when so many terrible things are constantly happening no matter where you look on this planet. I think the fact that so many children and young adults have mental illnesses is that we see and feel the intense amount of crime throughout the world all because of the internet. We get information at such a fast pace some of us are numb to it all, and some of us get completely overwhelmed and over think and constantly feel unsafe even in our own heads.
- How might Dweck’s ideas about a “fixed mindset” (or a “growth mindset” if you prefer) relate to ideas in the first three sections of “The Coddling…”? In your response, be sure to quote from both texts and EXPLAIN the relationship you see.
The first three sections of the article are great examples for fixed mindset. What is most talked about is how “uncomfortable” some individuals are with how “sensitive” the new generations are becoming. Those individuals that are uncomfortable enough to not try and change the way they speak and act around other people are the examples of fixed mindset. In Dweck’s ted talk she describes different studies of fixed mindset students, she states, “after a failure, they looked for someone who did worse than they did so they could feel really good about themselves. And in study after study, they have run from difficulty.” The world has rapidly changed for so many years now, and it’s appalling to see how many people don’t feel the need to change themselves as the whole world continues to do so itself. The Coddling brings up an idea that “vindictive protectiveness teaches students to think in a very different way. It prepares them poorly for professional life, which often demands intellectual engagement with people and ideas one might find uncongenial or wrong.” I think vindictive protectiveness does teach us to think in a different way, but it doesn’t leave us unprepared for professional life. Trigger warnings and other protective language allow the students and individuals who have been personally affected by some sort of trauma to be able to steer away from digging up memories or feelings they don’t feel like talking about in that moment. But this also gives an opportunity for those who are not affected by those traumas and memories to learn and try to understand what those individuals go through on a daily basis. By giving people a space to either steer away or learn about each other’s experiences, it actually helps us to try and understand, be knowledgeable about, and or be empathetic to other humans’ experiences. Connecting the fact that some people don’t want to acknowledge others hardships to the fact that acknowledging means learning is what I see as a fixed mindset in the article “The Coddling.” Sensitivity to others is never an inherently bad thing to do, it’s only uncomfortable because you don’t want to step out of your comfort zone of insensitivity.
