Students’ Body Of Manchester University Bans Clapping; Says It ‘Triggers Anxiety’ 

The Students Union of the University of Manchester, at its first senate session of the academic year, has passed a resolution to ban clapping at events of the union, reported The Daily Mirror.

The daily, quoting the student newspaper Macunion, said, "It was argued that the loud noise of traditional “clapping and whooping” pose an issue to students with anxiety or sensory issues. BSL (British Sign Language) clapping – or, jazz hands – would be a more inclusive form of expression."

According to the student’s union website, the senate makes decisions about what the student’s union should believe and take action on. More than 66 per cent of vote is needed for passing a motion.

The motion called ‘Making Senate More Accessible’ was authored by liberation and access officer Sarah Khan. The resolution made in the motion was to replace audible clapping with British sign language- or, Jazz hands, which is clapping at the student’s union events, and to “encourage student groups and societies to do the same, and to include BSL clapping as a part of inclusion training”.

Twitter users including prominent journalist Piers Morgan has ridiculed this motion of the student’s union while some others have called this the example of the “snowflake” generation.

Snowflake, in its slang form, refers to a person perceived by others to have an inflated sense of uniqueness or an unwarranted sense of entitlement, or to be over-emotional, easily offended, and unable to deal with opposing opinions.

Piers Morgan, tweeting an image of the student newspaper, wrote, “Britain’s losing its mind.”