Stop Saying “Trauma” for Stupid Things

People need to stop using the word “trauma” for stupid and inconsequential occurrences in their lives. Continued overuse and misuse delegitimizes a word that is critically important for those who have actually experienced situations worthy of the label.

Losing your phone and waiting for almost two hours at Verizon while your new iPhone is being set up is not “traumatic,” at least not unless you are simultaneously being held hostage by a gun-wielding lunatic.

Finding a hair in your food — gross, but not traumatic — unless of course you…