I recently came across an intriguing article entitled “The Coddling of the American Mind” in the September issue of “The Atlantic.” The authors, Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt, were concerned about the emerging phenomenon of so-called “microaggressions” and “trigger warnings” at American college campuses. They were worried because this new tendency is now being institutionalized, affecting “what can be said in the classroom, even as a basis for discussion.”

According to the authors, “Microaggressions are small actions or word choices that seem on their face to have no malicious intent but that are thought of as a kind of violence nonetheless.” In the article, they provided some examples: If you asked an Asian-American student, “Where were you born?” you were guilty of microaggression because you inadvertently implied that Asian-Americans were not “real” Americans. “You must be good at math” could also interpreted as racial harassment because the comment could offend the Asian student by stereotyping Asians. Now you need to think twice before saying anything on campus to avoid microaggression.

The authors defined “trigger warnings” as “alerts that professors are expected to issue if something in a course might cause a strong emotional response.” For example, a literary text might entail “trigger warnings” if it portrays sexual assault or physical abuse because it might trigger a recurrence of past trauma in those who have prior experience of physical violence. Now literature professors are in a dilemma; they have to think twice before assigning a novel to their students.

This new phenomenon reminds me of the “thought police” that pushed for “political correctness” in the 1990s. However, the authors maintain that it is different from the PC movement, which not only restricted speech but also challenged the canon of cultural diversity. Unlike political correctness, the current phenomenon is “largely about the emotional well-being” of college students whose minds are extremely fragile.

The authors argue that the coddling of the American mind stems from their overprotective parents, who are worried that their children live in a dangerous society and thus should be protected. As a result, these millennium-generation youngsters have an extraordinarily vulnerable psyche that is extremely sensitive and thus can be easily hurt or offended.

The authors also contend that today’s collegians tend to be antagonistic and self-righteous because of their negative feelings toward others and the hostile environment in a society radically polarized between Republicans and Democrats. Moreover, thanks to social media, these young people can easily profess their hostility and resentment on the Internet. Nowadays, professors are haunted by the fear that their students might ruin “their reputations and careers by stirring up online mobs against them.”

This new climate on campus often results in absurd situations. According to the authors, Hyung-il Jung, presumably a Korean-American instructor at the University of Central Florida, was suspended from his teaching duties in 2013 because a student reported that he threatened his students in class. It turned out that Jung had simply cracked a joke, “It looks like you guys are being slowly suffocated by these questions.” Nonetheless, the University demanded that Jung submit a written statement from a mental health professional that he was mentally sound before he would be allowed back on campus.

Reading the above-mentioned article, I noticed some striking similarities between American and Korean society. For example, like their American counterparts, Korean youngsters, too, have been raised by overprotective parents and thus have fragile minds. Korean college students, too, bear an antagonistic attitude, influenced by the confrontational relationship between the left and the right in Korean society. They, too, use social media to vent their rage and fury. Another similarity is that both countries have to deal with violence every day: violent crimes involving guns in the States and physical violence involving fists, knives and cars in Korea.

I have also noticed radical differences between Korea and the States. In the States, both physical and verbal violence are considered felonies, whereas they are tolerated in Korean society. As a result, verbal and physical fights are common in the streets of Korea. In cyberspace, too, abuse and racial slurs are rampant. Hiding behind the anonymity of the Internet, many Koreans indulge in verbal violence that often costs lives; sometimes, sensitive people with fragile minds commit suicide after reading unbearably insulting slurs online. Even in everyday life, we frequently hear offensive, harassing remarks that can pierce the heart of the target like a poisoned arrow. You may think it is a joke, but your inconsiderate, careless joke can be fatal to the listener.

Perhaps, if “microaggressions” and “trigger warnings” are taken too far, we might eventually end up being forced to remain silent. It would be disastrous if college classrooms were silent without any discussion or review sessions. Nevertheless, there is a lesson we can learn from this. We should be discreet when we write or speak to others so no one’s feelings are hurt or offended.

By Kim Seong-kon

Kim Seong-kon is a professor emeritus of English at Seoul National University and president of the Literature Translation Institute of Korea. -- Ed.