“Trigger warnings” have been considered on high school and college campuses for students who face difficulties or familiarities with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and has been a controversial issue recently.

Those who disagree with this notion, make the argument that college is designed to challenge students’ thoughts and opinions in order to prepare them for “real life.” However, if high school and college isn’t ‘real life,’ what exactly is? When does the belief that kids are ‘just kids’ who don’t encounter any ‘real issues,’ end?

From my perspective, your struggles as a teenager should not get discredited, just simply because you are young. Sure, occurrences faced as an adult may be worlds different than when you are a teen. That does not mean it is necessarily increased.

Trigger warnings need to be put in place for those who battle with anxiety, depression, and PTSD. These disorders are not a joke, and things that students, as well as 18% of Americans deals with. Counseling and medication is not always the answer.

While these things can aid a victim, this cannot be deemed as a valid justification because sometimes, it isn’t as simple as just hearing a certain word that is triggering. It is a day to day obstacle that inundates every thought, word, and action. You do not get to dictate if a victim of a troubling time, should ‘just get over it.’

The trials of recovering from such a cruel incident are far more taxing than just ‘trying not to think about it.’ If you have such a pressing phobia of having trigger warnings, don’t pay attention, skip the beginning of the video, or leave the lecture or class during that time.

After all, isn’t it just as easy as ‘trying not to think about it’?