Teens Are Triggered By In-Class Presentations and Would Like Them Abolished

"I think if a student is really unsettled and anxious because of it you should probably make it something less stressful."

If Gen Z got its way, in-class presentations would be joining napkins, doorbells, J. Crew, and Buffalo Wild Wings on the list of things the youths have killed. They say standing up in front of the whole class and reciting some speech, or walking through a powerpoint, can be a traumatic experience for many students and that teachers should do away with them.

This was the thinking behind a tweet that went viral last week:

The Atlantic's Taylor Lorenz dug into the issue, interviewing students who claim that speaking in front of the class gives them anxiety. Some used the language of trauma, triggers, and mental health, which suggests that the kinds of psychological harms college students complain about are afflicting younger students as well:

Nobody should be forced to do something that makes them uncomfortable," says Ula, a 14-year-old in eighth grade, who, like all students quoted asked to be referred to only by her first name. "Even though speaking in front of class is supposed to build your confidence and its part of your school work, I think if a student is really unsettled and anxious because of it you should probably make it something less stressful. School isn't something a student should fear."

"It feels like presentations are often more graded on delivery when some people can't help not being able to deliver it well, even if the content is the best presentation ever," says Bennett, a 15-year-old in Massachusetts who strongly agrees with the idea that teachers should offer alternative options for students. "Teachers grade on public speaking which people who have anxiety can't be great at."

"I get that teachers are trying to get students out of their comfort zone, but it's not good for teachers to force them to do that," says Henry, a 15-year-old also in Massachusetts.

https://reason.com/blog/2018/09/13/teen-presentations-anxiety-schools-stude

WHAT A BUNCH OF PUSSIES.