Summary Of The Coddling Of The American Mind By Gregg Lukianoff

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Johnathan Haidt and Gregg Lukianoff are considered to be some of the most important stylists in modern American writing. Their work is defined by a disciplined approach that gives their writing a dramatic feel. In their article, The Coddling of The American Mind”, authors Gregg Lukianoff and Johnathan Haidt claim that protecting children from offences will hinder them to the point where they are not able to handle any sort of discussions that may contain “trigger words”. As generations change, technology also changes with the times. Therefore, the Americans of the current generation are viewed is viewed as sheltered. As a result, the newest generation is unable to withstand any type of criticism. Trigger words help to ready students …show more content…

Professors are required to protect the feelings and emotions of their students, “protecting them various types of unforeseen offences.” (6) Trigger warnings can useful in creating student engagement and they also allow the professor to demonstrate control of the students. By making sure students are notified and aware of controversial material, it can create the boundaries of the classroom to let students know what they are learning, whether they have any issues, and to prevent instructors from getting any sort of negative feedback. I strongly believe that the article provides extreme examples that paint an absolutely horrible picture of American millennials. The tragic events like the 1999 Columbine massacre caused public institutions to “dramatically increase security procedures.” (9) Even though the example of Colombine is intense, by referencing it, the authors are able to successfully support their claim of why it is imperative to protect the thoughts and ideas of the American youth. Throughout the article, Lukianoff and Hadit continually provide examples of behavior that they have noticed on different college …show more content…

“In the first month of accessibility, the video had been watched over three million times.” (9) (YouTube, 2014). The video captured a student demonstration at a college, where students “fought for a segregated ‘safe space’ for their identities’ ” (9). “A safe space is as an a space where a person can express them self safely without the fear of racial problems.” (9) (“Advocates Glossary”). Although not directly implied, Kwame Anthony Appiah claims that the purpose of a post-secondary environment is to have melinials “think critically about their values” and to experiment with their theories along with other students (Appiah, “What is the Purpose of College?”). With the increase in emotional protection awareness on college campuses, a “safety net” is created where students are protected from all hinderences. Lukianoff, and Haidt, make an excellent argument in determining the consequences of offenses. However, the authors’ use of extreme examples hinder their argument