The Coddling of the American Mind

The main argument of Lukianoff's article, The Coddling of the American Mind, is the continual increase of teaching students less and less about topics that cause some type of discomfort. For example, "law students asking her fellow professors at Harvard not to teach rape law..." is just one example of how students are being blinded from the real world. I completely agree with this article in which students are not being shown the true horrors of reality. Those unfamiliar with this school of thought may be interested to know that it basically boils down to how each student was taught. If one student was taught of the bad side of the world, then that one student may think everyone else was taught the same and vice versa (Graff 62). This problem "...may be related to recent changes in the interpretation of federal antidiscrimination statutes... but the answer probably involves generational shifts as well (Lukianoff)." As the years go by, many different aspects of everyday life change. Each generation changes greatly from the last. For example, "...Baby Boomer parents [are] more protective than their own parents... (Lukianoff)." Each generation of people add new ways of living, whether being more protective of their children or integrating technology into their everyday lives.

Technology in everyone's lives isn't a bad thing. However, it turns bad when technology strips the ability away to engage with others in person. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and texting are all ingenious ideas to use technology but there are drawbacks. Adding to Lukianoff's argument, I would point out that he is completely right when it comes to social media (Graff 72). Students may destroy their reputations by posting something they think is a good laugh but in reality, could affect them for the rest of their lives not in a positive way. The article clearly illustrates this by saying "...social media has... shifted the balance of power between students and faculty... [and there is]... fear what students might do to their reputations and careers by... online mobs (Lukianoff)." Technology is helpful and fun to use, students need to know how to use it correctly along with everyone else.

Another interesting argument of the author is how we see life. "...philosophers have understood that we don't see life as it is; we see a version distorted by our hopes, fears, and other attachments (Lukianoff)" is a fantastic point by the author. I, personally, have never thought of life in that regard. Lukianoff's idea is to try to distort life less and try to accurately see the world. Lukianoff is right that trying to distort life will help in the long run. The picture would become clear if distortion was taken out of the equation of life (Graff 73). Using cognitive behavioral therapy is a way to help someone's "distortion". Ultimately, what is at stake here is how people can change for the better (Graff 99). If people are able to determine what is distorting their life, they could fix it by cognitive behavioral therapy.

Lukianoff, Greg, and Jonathan Haidt. “The Coddling of the American Mind.” TheAtlantic.com. The
         Atlantic Monthly Group, Sept. 2015. Web. 10 Oct. 2015.

Graff, Gerald, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel Durst. They Say I Say. New York: W.W. Norton &
        Company, Inc., 2015. Print.