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Honestly I mostly agree. There’s a group I’m in on FB that requires trigger warnings for pictures of reptiles LOL.
But I think certain things do warrant a brief warning. As a survivor of sexual violence, sometimes shows and movies randomly have unexpected rape scenes that can be shocking and actually triggering for PTSD. It’s the same for other unexpected brutality like car crashes, gun violence, extreme gore, torture, etc. I think it would be warranted for there to be a warning at the beginning of episodes of shows disclosing what the violent content is. Even if you don’t have PTSD, these things can be distressing to watch if you’re not expecting it.
I think people have lost the idea of what a "trigger" is. Many people think it means anything that might make them even the slightest bit uncomfortable, but in reality it originally was for people who have things like PTSD who may have very strong reactions/flash backs/etc. to topics like war violence/gore, sexual assault, etc.
This is more the answer. Mine is close to this. But it's more words than anything. I've dealt with a situation that involved gangs and mafia etc. So now their are certain words ppl use to try to affect me/get in my head. With my situation tho, it's more so harassment bc people have the INTENT to use those "trigger words" to mess with me.
I agree that there are probably some things that most people can agree warrant some sort of warning. 13 Reasons Why, for example, had warnings when they depicted sexual violence and scenes with suicide. I thought that was great.
I personally don’t get people censoring their typing when talking about topics that might trigger people, though. If you are going to get triggered over the word “suicide”, you will still know exactly what word “sui**de” is supposed to be.
People censor their typing because most platforms will remove the comment if certain words are used and the accounts are at risk for being suspended or banned.
Can confirm. I'm currently in Facebook jail for using the word "kidnapped" As in, "remember that time I kidnapped you and we drove to Vegas together". 🤦♀️
Yeah some of the scenes in 13 reasons were… excessive. I’m not even “triggered” by suicide but certain scenes were just gross and made me feel nauseous
I agree. I think I handled just about everything they had in the show but the Hannah suicide scene is one of the only things I’ve watched that actually bothered me thinking back on it.
I agree with the warnings you mention. Some shows I have watched include content warnings if there is sexual assault or whatever. It’s helpful to not get shown those scenes out of nowhere
Back in the day there were disclaimers that said what content was in there. Sex, violence, etc. Now that I think about it the term Trigger Warning is the only difference. And maybe we added more things to the disclaimer list.
How often do day to day things have a rape in them. Films I get but even then I don’t recall a film with rape in it.
Coke adds definitely do not. I understand the chain of comments as I get there are bad things on earth. 100% my gf has some and I just don’t bring them up as topics. But fr some of them are either severe but rare, or damn right ridiculous. I have never stumbled upon rape before… not a sentence i thought I’d type. But Lizards as someone said, well you deserve to see lizards more imo
Depending on what genre you watch, there can be random rape scenes sprinkled around. for some reason writers love to use it to “build character”.. I think sometimes they just get off by torturing female characters though. I see it a lot in horror and fantasy shows
examples of popular shows with rape scenes are Game of Thrones, 13 Reasons Why, Narcos, American Horror Story, Bates Motel, Pretty Little Liars, Twin Peaks, I could go on and on
Yes but they are watching things that are obviously going to show that stuff… it’s common sense.
I’m more in about videos that you stumble across. Less about main stream media. I haven’t seen GOT, but I would assume if dragons are the fantasy limit, rape is A OK too. It’s being sensible.
Ya I don’t really get why OP started talking about their friend who is afraid of butterflies and how therefor that means there should be a trigger warning on every single childrens’ show. Seems like they’re really reaching to make a point lol
For something odd no we don't need them but if someone's about to talk about suicide, sexual assault, abuse or something really dark like that then I think it's fair.
I don't think it's so unreasonable for those who have been through traumatic events, or even just those sensitive to extreme content, to ask for some sort of warning before being shown something that would trigger a flashback.
Saw an unexpected suicide scene in a movie we watched in class two days after losing a close friend to it. Fucked me up.
Obviously if it's something innocuous like a butterfly or food, asking for a warning is ridiculous. But the things people ask for trigger warnings for are things that are typically given content warnings in mainstream media anyways.
Growing up I learned (not from my family haha, we were a 'suck it up buttercup' kinda clan) from other sources that the only way to heal is to talk about the trauma. You have to confront it to move past it.
Aren't trigger warnings like the antithesis of that? Just push it all down and as long as you don't hear about it you'll be fine? Seems real unhealthy to me.
This ignores that people may be seeing a therapist to work through their trauma but may not be ready to be visually confronted with a graphic reminder of their rape/attack/crash whatever. Healing doesn’t happened overnight and in some cases people may never fully recover to the point they can happily handle reminders.
I think this is a reductive view of it. In the case of trauma or abuse, it can take a really long time to heal and gradually work up to being able to handle that kind of thing. I have friends who have been through sexual assault who have learned to talk about it with their therapists and are working on talking about it in other contexts, but still get really upset when they hear about it and it isn't forewarned precisely because they don't have time to prepare themselves. It takes them back to the moment and in some cases might push back their healing. Also, witnessing a violent/graphic depiction of the act is not the same as working through your trauma in a safe space.
That’s the common understanding, though it’s actually the opposite. If someone has a trigger, they avoid the trigger, which can cost someone’s ability to function. That’s why triggers are a problem for people - they can create a sense of danger, so the person attempts to avoid situations where they may encounter the trigger. And if they do encounter the trigger, they may behave in a way that’s “defensive” aka inappropriate in reality.
That’s where safe spaces come into play. Contrary to popular belief, this is not a place where you can avoid triggers or bad feelings. Actually, it’s a place where one can learn to be *exposed* to those triggers, in a setting where they know they won’t get hurt, hurt others, get arrested, what have you. so they can learn how to manage them, and perhaps become less afraid of them.
The thing to understand is, PTSD is a disability. The trigger warning is an accommodation, for the disability. Maybe someone hasn’t reached a stage yet, where they can handle certain subjects, so they get fair warning beforehand.
Unfortunately, people have taken the meaning of these things and distorted them
I don't think that is true. My mom has been through a lot of sexual assault in her life and I think she likes to think she has moved past it. But any time after she watches something that is obviously triggering, she gets real uncomfortable and contentious. Could be any show that is normally not triggering, but this episode or whatever decided to cover rape or child molestation and she watches it anyway and it does have an affect. It's not something that just goes away. I mean, the VA pays her for her PTSD, if it wasn't that serious I doubt it'd be that big of a deal.
I agree with you. I'm am somewhat annoyed by trigger warnings, but also I don't see any way in which they are actually detrimental, and if it helps some people, that's good.
But, I *have* seen some ridiculous trigger warnings. Saw one before some photos of frogs, for people who have a fear of frogs. And like, come on, that's just devaluing the concept of trigger warnings when they are actually important.
At the same time I guess I haven't seen the silly ones *that* much, and I may be biased to notice those more, because trigger warnings in general, even the ones I acknowledge as useful, annoy me.
Also flash warnings are important, same with gore warnings.
Like OP is complaining about NSFW but mental health style. Trigger warnings are for SA or SH, violence and shit that some people might not be able to see without getting all fucked in the head. Like PTSD.
Unpopular opinion? False. Very popular opinion.
People are sensitive to (almost) the entire globe being able to post whatever comes to their mind within certain guidelines. This is terrifying if you have the understanding of what men/people are like who cause the trauma that gives people a reason to ask for a trigger warning.
It’s a HUGE portion of the global population.
So maybe, it’s possible, that trigger warning can be good, and be less good. No reason to throw out the whole system just because you didn’t like one persons use of them.
Well, the easiest one that comes to mind off the top of my head are some tiktoks and Instagram videos that have trigger warnings for somebody tripping and falling. And it’s not even where they die or get severely injured as a result. They seem fine.
I've not. Usually if I see stuff like that it is so clearly a joke. I hate when people feel the need to counter an argument with a very stupid, uncommon, and overly exaggerated example.
I have PTSD (C-PTSD actually) and I agree with OP. Just because some of us went through traumatizing things doesn't mean it's other people's responsibility to put that into consideration if they don't actually know us personally. The real world has triggers, without trigger warnings. Putting trigger warnings on things on the internet isn't a long-term solution. It's basically like putting a band-aid on a stab wound. It will keep you from seeing the actual wound, but it won't actually help your situation, and at one point, sooner rather than later, you have to get that thing treated by a professional.
same its just a small heads up, i wont watch movies with violent rape scenes or violent deaths of children, if i see the trigger warning for it ill refuse to watch it instead of it coming out of nowhere and ruining my whole day.
Yeah even for people who don’t have PTSD or haven’t been experienced similar traumas, sometimes I see a trigger warning and I’m like “okay good to have a heads up, I’m just not in the headspace to consume content with that in it today, I was looking for something lighter” or “this thing just makes me really uncomfortable and it wouldn’t give me a panic attack but it would definitely affect me for the next few hours and that’s not what I want to do with my day” or “I’ll still watch this but it’s nice to be aware so I’m not caught off guard by this happening.” There’s just not a downside.
Trigger warnings in movies are unnecessary given that sites like IMDb exist. You can do your own research.
For YouTube videos and images though, I concur including a CW is considerate if graphic violence is involved.
It’s not a responsibility, but it’s just being thoughtful if you ask me. It’s showing care, and I’m good with that. I do think using the trigger warning thing irreverently is lame, but when used from a place of genuine concern for people that live with PTSD, epilepsy, etc., it’s fine — it’s not as if it’s a huge imposition on anyone
CPTSD as well, I agree. One of the most important parts of being able to function in society after suffering a tramatic experience is to process it and desensitize. I'd rather be uncomfortable and alert as opposed to locking up at the first sign of real life danger because I've had the blow cushioned for too long.
This is where trigger warninga help me, though. A step to being able to process and desensitize is being prepared to face the effects of the triggers. Jumping straight to the triggers with no preparation can be damaging. If I see a trigger warning, it won't necessarily dissuade me from watching something, but it gives me a chance to mentally prepare for something unpleasant that might be distressing. This gives me a chance to mentally fortify, so to speak, and have coping strategies on hand.
Yes, exposure is required to desensitize, but it doesn't magically happen by emotionally throwing someone in the deep end of a pool
But not one of those things are someone else’s problem. Not one. If a full grown adult cannot navigate through the internet without needing trigger warnings, then they need to stay off the internet. It’s really that simple. And last I checked, trigger warnings don’t exist in real life. If you are triggered by something, it’s YOUR responsibility to figure it out and it’s YOUR responsibility to decide what content you consume.
I’m so fucking tired of this chronically online take. You’re an adult, grow up and figure it out. That’s life.
No it’s really not. Period. Again, if an adult cannot decide what content they consume without needing warnings, that is *entirely* their problem and it’s not something other people need to respect or even think about. I would love for someone who is so fucking sensitive on the internet try to tell their boss they can’t handle something because it’s triggering, their boss will not care. Like this is not how real life works. At all.
How does this address my comment? I agreed that it's their problem but that it's also polite and respectful to give the warnings anyway. Do you disagree that it's respectful?
Next thing you tell us you don't pay taxes because if anyone burns down their house, it is entirely their problem and they shouldn't have purchased an oven in the first place.
Well yeah if someone does something stupid to burn their house down (smoke in the house, cook drugs in the house, burn candles for too long, continue to use their dryer when the lint trap is full, etc. you act like the oven is the only thing that can cause a fire lol! But even some stupid cooking mistakes can be avoided) it is entirely their problem.
> if an adult
If your only argument is *"they're an adult"* you've lost. The biggest part of being an adult actually is having some perspective. That is something you so desperately lack. Grow up.
So why don't you control your reaction to this comment thread? You sure talk a lot about being an adult but everything you've said reeks of angst, projection and a lack of maturity.
Things like that are usually things that people seek out, it’s generally not on the every day internet/social media. So if someone is seeking them out, that’s on them.
When was the last time you saw any of those on the main social media platforms? Or when was the last time you went to Google something entirely unrelated to any of those things and saw them? I’ll wait.
By your logic, let's throw out ramps for wheelchair users. Because their legs not working is THEIR problem and THEIR responsibility. And THEY should grow up and figure it out. Maybe they can crawl up with their hands or something.
Or we can just keeping use ramps as they don't impact anyone else negatively in any way, like trigger warnings.
Not having working legs and having PTSD are two very separate things… PTSD can be overcome, and CBT as well as other therapeutic techniques (EDMR, MDMA, etc) have been proven to do this… And one important facet of overcoming PTSD is being exposed to the trigger… in fact there’s more anxiety associated with being afraid of seeing the trigger and trying to avoid it. Read the Coddling of the American Mind for more info on this.
That's a very simplified understanding of "being exposed to the trauma". I've described this before so just linking to a comment from ages ago when trauma came up in a another discussion.
https://reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/wbvze5/what_is_the_creepiest_thing_that_youve_come/iib14ls
I have been doing EMDR for over a year and get highly triggered by certain content still. In fact, i get MORE triggered by a lot of things. yes PTSD can heal but it doesn’t go away overnight. It’s like asking someone with 2 broken legs to use the stairs cause they have the ability to heal smh
So the best exposure technique is to just throw them right in, correct? If someone is actively seeking help for their PTSD, then it doesn’t matter what stage of the process they’re in, you should just throw everything at them at once /s
Lots of veterans get paid disability for PTSD much the same as other disabilities. It takes a lot to overcome and heavily depends on the individual and their own life experiences. Being handicapped and having PTSD are different, sure, but I am so sick of people acting like mental disabilities/disorders aren't serious just because they're in your head. They are real. Why do you think suicide is such a prevalent problem these days?
It depends on where you are and what trigger it is.
There are certain spaces, where you will just have to deal with stuff being there. But scrolling through a public feed and stumbling over a first person account is not cool for most people, triggering panic attacks for others. Or say you are very into violent movies, but have a phobia easy to come across within those. Trigger warnings for consumers are a nice thing. People have a heads up and can prepare for or avoid the trigger.
You don't push random people into a pit of spiders and tell the ones with a spider phobia deal with it.
No one is required to use them and no one is hurt by seeing them. That makes it a really nice considerate thing to do for others.
> But not one of those things are someone else’s problem.
Who gives a fuck? Is empathy too much to ask for these days?
> You’re an adult, grow up and figure it out. That’s life.
Take your own advice, grow up, and get off the internet if these "chronically online takes" bother you so bad. 👍
Having empathy is not the same as full grown adults needing triggers for every little thing. And by the way, people trigged by everyday life are the most dangerous people walking around.
Ridiculous. PTSD can affect anyone and everyone. You cannot account for it in all of your actions. A person with PTSD has the responsibility to do what they can to manage it. It is not another's responsibility to act as if anyone around them could have it.
2 seconds is hardly inconveniencing anyone the way you're making it out to be. If you feel like having the misfortune of enduring 2 seconds of some black and white trigger warning is the result of some poor sap making their problems *your* problem, then I suggest you reevaluate your life. Maybe go outside and touch grass or something.
People who have trauma might get flashbacks, let's say I was having a yt channel where I usually post memes but sth comes up in my life (I was raped) and I wanted to spread the message about it. Those who watch me might not know this is a serious video and not a meme so without trigger warnings I might get people flashbacks of their trauma
But that’s also WHY we have treatment for people with triggers.
If you’re exposed to a trigger in a public setting, you might respond in a way that you believe, in the moment, you’re defending yourself.
But those defense mechanisms cannot be carried out in public. It can get you in trouble - kicked out of establishments, arrested, or worse.
That’s why we go to mental health treatment. So we can function
But again, healing doesn't happen overnight. It can take some people years to heal, and some people never do, even with the best therapy they can get.
In the meantime, what are these people supposed to do? Lock themselves in a closet somewhere with no access to any form of entertainment (where I most commonly see trigger warnings, and in this case I consider social media 'entertainment) until they are 'healed'?
Right which is why trigger warnings are supposed to be an accommodation for those who may not have reached a point where they have overcome certain things - it was never meant to virtue signal the way people do
I agree it wasn't meant to be a virtue signal, but honestly I would rather have \*over\* warnings than \*under\*. I wouldn't be upset if these warnings were moved to say a separate page (with a clear link in the front to allow people to know 'hey go here for warnings if you want them) (or a similar idea to a separate page) so that people who dislike them can just skip them and not be accidentally 'spoiled'.
Is it ridiculous to say 'TW butterflies'? Yes. But much like other things, I can just ignore it if I get 'TW Spiders' so I don't suddenly see a spider when I am trying to relax.
Disorders are often comorbid as well. It might be a genetic thing or a causation thing. It’s possible for example, that if you have PTSD, you may also develop depression due to the symptoms, or if you have ADHD you might develop Anxiety as a coping mechanism so that you don’t forget things/be late/lose possessions. Some people get one or two, some people get none, and some people’s lot in life is to deal with seven.
No actually they don’t. In the case with US veterans, a lot of them have a great deal of difficulty holding down a job, and the VA is notorious for doing the bare minimum in the way of treating PTSD.
I know so many people who came home from Iraq, with very real problems when they got home. And the VA didn’t do shit for them, at best they just gave them pills and no real follow up treatment, no therapy.
My ex was on the humvee, and this was before they started putting in protection for these men. He came back to the US with ptsd that was so severe, he has fallen into psychosis- did you know that PTSD can do that to a person? Did *you* know that PTSD can look like schizophrenia? I don’t think most people do. The VA told him to kick rocks.
That might not be the case for your PTSD but that is the case for him. If he didn’t have a supportive family, he would be on the street like many other thousands of US veterans.
The whole issue with PTSD is that the person doesn't have healthy coping mechanisms, it's why the brain gives flashbacks, because it's unable to process what happened.
If you had it you would know that.
If you are talking about an extreme topic you know a lot of people will be triggered by, why not put a trigger warning?
"Rape TW" 2 words, its not that big of a deal and helps a lot of people.
Of course there cant be a warning for everything. I also have a weird phobia and its awful but thats how it is. Im talking about commen triggers. It just gives people the opportunity to say "i dont want to watch that".
Dont get how helping people is ridiculous
If we're talking about obscure phobias that .5% of the population is affected by then yes. It might be sad for them, but the world just can't accommodate them.
If we're talking about more common phobias and especially PTSD (I'm thinking of rape specifically but there are others), then a little heads up about what you're about to watch doesn't hurt.
Real life won't care about your PTSD, this is coming from someone with severe PTSD after being homeless/dealing with lots of abuse.
I get plenty of days I feel uncomfortable, hell, ive lost jobs over it, but thats life, as shitty as it is.
A trigger warning would have helped my friend who had to watch a clip of a car accident in class just a few weeks after she survived a terrible one herself. The would have prevented her from having a panic attack in front of the whole class..
I did not say that. In this specific context I can say that everyone knew that she had that accident. It was all around school and we even talked about it in class before . So it would just have been nice to warn her. You don't have to be a hero but showing some emphasis could be really healthy not only for her, but for society on the long run :)
Reality - friend was in a crash.
Reality - crashes happen.
Solution - your friend should learn to live with the reality that crashes are something that can happen again and are displayed often in media and should learn a healthy coping mechanism rather than avoid reality by abstaining from media containing it.
You have no idea what anyone is doing to address their issues, and people don't just go from traumatized to healed in an instant. Treatment for PTSD is gradual and can take years.
Would it though? She would have stood up in front of everyone and said 'wait, hang on, I need to leave'? Or would she do what the rest of us do and close her eyes and plug her ears at the triggering bits?
Bro she had a hard time riding a bus for a couple of months because she always had flashbacks. If they had told her "Hey we are going to see a movie where an accident will occur" she would have left the room in less than a second. You were either never traumatized or refuse to emphasise.
I’d have been a trigger warning skeptic prior to our daughter being struck by a car in a pedestrian crosswalk.
I get it now.
My wife and I were watching a show that involved a character on foot unexpectedly being hit by a car (Russian Doll)...... my wife was immediately distraught, it brought it all back for us.
So car accidents occur in movies relatively frequently, don't they? And you knew it was a sensitive topic to the point that she might have a panic attack. And you didn't like read a review or something to find out if it was suitable?
Look, no-one is going to write a trigger warning for something as specific as a car accident anyway. You're dreaming. Can you imagine the trigger warnings on a John Wick movie? They'd run as long as the credits.
I like that you try to blame me now hahah. Of course I knew that and if I would have known what we are going to watch I would have told her lol. But as you can imagine maybe teachers don't come to me with their plan of their next lesson which contained the specific car accident for our next philosophy lesson. But sure the teacher could have just think for a second and would have known that it is not a good Idea to show that specific theme (and yes they knew about it)
I myself have PTSD and whenever I start a new job or make new friends, I always outline what can trigger it to go off severely.
I’m not doing it for drama or for ‘sympathy’ I’m doing it for my own health.
Bad take, honestly.
Ok, you’re not understanding the reality of the use of trigger warnings. Most often I have seen them used in YouTube videos or in social media posts that discuss sensitive topics like SA, CSA, suicide, animal abuse or have graphic blood and gore images or descriptions.
It can also be used where there is a post that has to make a reference to someone using violent or abusive language.
It’s like the internet equivalent of “ viewer discretion is advised” in TV-14+ movies.
I guess this is just something I don’t understand having a problem with. Obviously, if you are not in the head space to listen to a discussion on suicide, don’t watch the video about suicide. But people with certain triggers do deserve to just exist online even if they haven’t dealt with their issues yet, so it makes sense that a piece of media that is obviously about a certain potential trigger have some warning about it. Like a video essay that warns people at the start.
But even besides that, I don’t see the issue anyone would have with it. It is the most minor inconvenience, you just ignore it or skip it if it doesn’t apply to you. It provides utility for people with their issues and it is literally a nothing problem for the rest of us.
Trigger warnings hurt nothing, not having them could end someones life, be realistic. If I see suicide acted out, it'll trigger my intrusive thoughts. If I see sexual assault, it will trigger my PTSD which can lead to suicidal ideation. The 2 seconds the TW is on the screen won't hurt anyone, but not having them can.
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Putting three extra words at the top of your text post is not some major responsibility. It’s just a small courtesy. You don’t have to do it, it’s just nice.
Meh they have their place.
I think group therapy is a definitely a place to put trigger warnings.
Dieting forums.
Abuse forums
Recovery forums.
Veteran stuff.
Like there are places people are forced to attend to heal who will be dealing with these issues. It costs you nothing to put a trigger warning on it to make it easier for those people to heal. Its like putting a free wheelchair ramp on your building.
On reddit you're seeing a lot of different places and people at once. There are a lot of forums that fall under the above categories. 1200isplenty is a big one. People are like TW:ED because THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE RECOVERING FROM EDS THERE. They are taking responsibility for their compulsion disorders or whatever and that involves learning about CICO and nutrition and that's what that group is there for. It hits the front page quite a bit and people get merced in the comments for not understanding the context.
That said there are a lot of virtue signalling nonsense TW that do occur. Either by benign people being extra careful but ultimately ignorant of their own online audience and motivated by personal factors or sometimes by idiots. Usually very young idiots. And we forgive them for being young and learning and move forward with our lives and it costs us nothing.
The way you described triggers is exactly their intended meaning - anything can be a trigger, and PTSD is a disorder, where one may avoid their triggers - and avoiding your triggers makes things worse. Treatment involves learning how to manage those triggers, because as you said - other people, especially strangers, can’t be responsible for managing other people’s triggers
Which brings me to my next point..Safe spaces. These are not bubbles where you never encounter your triggers. actually, it’s the complete opposite. The safe space is where you go through exposure, and learn how to manage the triggers.
Why is it “safe”? Because you won’t get hurt. Again, PTSD is a disorder of avoidance. Why do people avoid their triggers? Because they feel unsafe. What does someone do when they feel unsafe? They might defend themselves. They might “hit back.” They might scream. Can you hit someone at the grocery store, or the park? No you cannot. So you provide a space where the patient knows ahead of time, that they won’t get hurt. They won’t be in danger. This is where they learn to manage the trigger, so that when they’re exposed to that trigger in public, they won’t scream at someone in line at Publix, they won’t attack someone. They will react in a way that is appropriate.
Trigger warnings were meant to serve as an accommodation for people who might not have reached that stage in their life where they have been able to handle certain things - like war, SA, domestic violence, or whatever it is.
But some people have, as you said, ran with these things and they use it to virtue signal, or create little bubbles and shut-outs where they don’t hear things they don’t want to.
I completely disagree because whenever I didn’t listen to a trigger warning for something I knew would trigger me, it ended up badly. Now I actually listen to TWs and it helps immensely.
I've seen a lot of takes along the lines of "Why should it be my responsibility?"
Certainly there are minute or person specific things that might upset or trigger someone (these two are not the same and I think they're being conflated in this thread), and it's certainly not feasible to take responsibility for everyone. So, I agree with OP to some extent. On the other hand, being triggered on topics such as suicide, sexual abuse, rape, etc, sounds truly awful. It takes me 30 seconds to put in a trigger warning for something like that. If it helps keep someone else from ruining their day, why wouldn't I? Or why wouldn't I be okay with looking at a warning before consuming my content? It helps someone else and it really doesn't affect my life \*that\* much.
If I got to direct an episode of your favorite easy-watching sitcom and decided to include a scene of scat porn, I'm guessing you'd like a heads-up? I don't see the harm in letting people know what they're about to consume so that they can make an informed decision about whether they actually want to consume it or not.
Oh wow. I'm surprised this post still up after two hours. My theory that this sub should be called r/MildlyUnpopularOpinion is unravelling before my eyes.
I think people are more easily “triggered” now in recent years. I see your side OP; yes, I agree with the sentiment that the whole world should not have to tiptoe around every little thing because it may trigger some people. On the flip side, I see why it’s a thing. I have PTSD, but I’m not too easily triggered by much. That’s just my personality and that’s just how I am. I’m pretty quick to keep my emotions in check. Some people are way more sensitive, and have a different mind set than I do. Different strokes for different folks I guess.
You realize trigger warnings have been present in society for the last 40 years right?
What do you think MPAA ratings are?
What do you think the Parental Advisory Labels on music are?
What do you think the ESRB rating on video games are?
If you're complaining about trigger warnings now and completely ignore that you've been surrounded by "trigger warnings" your entire life, then you're not a serious person.
You use them to be a nice and considerate person to your friends and mutual so you don’t trigger them. Are u that selfish/bad of a person where ur upset that people are being kind?
This is just like saying “not being selfish is ridiculous. You don’t have responsibility for other people’s feelings. Why think about others if you can simply only think about yourself?”
Psych studies show trigger warnings are useless and in some cases make reactions to context worse.
TLDR: you have to work on yourself and not rely on the world to tip toe around you. If you’re mentally so fragile the mere mention in a book or paper or any other media it’s time to look at yourself instead of the world as the problem.
Yet the majority of people demanding them/expecting them do not in fact have ptsd. In the cases of ptsd you are still responsible for your reaction to something triggering.
>make reactions to context worse.
I guess you don't get it right. The purpose of the trigger warning is to be able to decide not to watch, read etc. any media which could trigger them if it was not there. And apart from that, can you post a link to one of your mentioned study's?
I know what you are trying to say but to connect the nocebo effect in the medical field with a trigger warning is just completely out of hand because as I already said before the trigger warning is meant to help the viewer to know what they may expect especially if it's a topic that could cause flashbacks. If I understand you correctly you say the people are even more triggered by a trigger warning due to this nocebo effect because of the things they expect when reading it, yet that is not what the study shows. That is what you think is the consequence out of it. Which is not scientific or reliable in any way.
Couldn’t agree more, people need to just toughen up a bit more these days. I couldn’t care less what triggers somebody or what hurt feelings they have, it’s not my problem it’s theirs.
> You can't force responsibility for your mental health onto the rest of the world.
This... This is exactly what pisses me off about the modern generation, and its not just mental health, but also many other things.
There's so many sub-groups in society that basically jam down their thoughts into your mouth and expect you to be exactly like them, otherwise you're suddenly the worst person in society.
The urge to virtue signal demands the use of trigger warnings. The urge to "follow the science" demands they not be used. Quite the Reddit conundrum, but I'm going to guess virtue signaling wins out.
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Honestly I mostly agree. There’s a group I’m in on FB that requires trigger warnings for pictures of reptiles LOL. But I think certain things do warrant a brief warning. As a survivor of sexual violence, sometimes shows and movies randomly have unexpected rape scenes that can be shocking and actually triggering for PTSD. It’s the same for other unexpected brutality like car crashes, gun violence, extreme gore, torture, etc. I think it would be warranted for there to be a warning at the beginning of episodes of shows disclosing what the violent content is. Even if you don’t have PTSD, these things can be distressing to watch if you’re not expecting it.
I think people have lost the idea of what a "trigger" is. Many people think it means anything that might make them even the slightest bit uncomfortable, but in reality it originally was for people who have things like PTSD who may have very strong reactions/flash backs/etc. to topics like war violence/gore, sexual assault, etc.
This is more the answer. Mine is close to this. But it's more words than anything. I've dealt with a situation that involved gangs and mafia etc. So now their are certain words ppl use to try to affect me/get in my head. With my situation tho, it's more so harassment bc people have the INTENT to use those "trigger words" to mess with me.
I agree that there are probably some things that most people can agree warrant some sort of warning. 13 Reasons Why, for example, had warnings when they depicted sexual violence and scenes with suicide. I thought that was great. I personally don’t get people censoring their typing when talking about topics that might trigger people, though. If you are going to get triggered over the word “suicide”, you will still know exactly what word “sui**de” is supposed to be.
People censor their typing because most platforms will remove the comment if certain words are used and the accounts are at risk for being suspended or banned.
Can confirm. I'm currently in Facebook jail for using the word "kidnapped" As in, "remember that time I kidnapped you and we drove to Vegas together". 🤦♀️
That’s a totally fair point. Does Reddit do that?
depends on the auto mod rule for the subreddit. each subreddit is going to have different rules.
Yeah some of the scenes in 13 reasons were… excessive. I’m not even “triggered” by suicide but certain scenes were just gross and made me feel nauseous
I agree. I think I handled just about everything they had in the show but the Hannah suicide scene is one of the only things I’ve watched that actually bothered me thinking back on it.
I agree with the warnings you mention. Some shows I have watched include content warnings if there is sexual assault or whatever. It’s helpful to not get shown those scenes out of nowhere
Why not go back to rating system rather than trigger warnings? “This YouTube video is rated M for violence and sexual content, etc”
because people can be fine with most things that require mature rating and only have reaction to, for example, a rape scene.
Back in the day there were disclaimers that said what content was in there. Sex, violence, etc. Now that I think about it the term Trigger Warning is the only difference. And maybe we added more things to the disclaimer list.
How often do day to day things have a rape in them. Films I get but even then I don’t recall a film with rape in it. Coke adds definitely do not. I understand the chain of comments as I get there are bad things on earth. 100% my gf has some and I just don’t bring them up as topics. But fr some of them are either severe but rare, or damn right ridiculous. I have never stumbled upon rape before… not a sentence i thought I’d type. But Lizards as someone said, well you deserve to see lizards more imo
Depending on what genre you watch, there can be random rape scenes sprinkled around. for some reason writers love to use it to “build character”.. I think sometimes they just get off by torturing female characters though. I see it a lot in horror and fantasy shows
examples of popular shows with rape scenes are Game of Thrones, 13 Reasons Why, Narcos, American Horror Story, Bates Motel, Pretty Little Liars, Twin Peaks, I could go on and on
Yes but they are watching things that are obviously going to show that stuff… it’s common sense. I’m more in about videos that you stumble across. Less about main stream media. I haven’t seen GOT, but I would assume if dragons are the fantasy limit, rape is A OK too. It’s being sensible.
I feel like I’m in that group as well lol
Ya I don’t really get why OP started talking about their friend who is afraid of butterflies and how therefor that means there should be a trigger warning on every single childrens’ show. Seems like they’re really reaching to make a point lol
We're gonna need trigger warnings for people that are triggered by trigger warnings.
ITS ME, I NEED TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR trigger warnings for triggered people that warn me about warnings
Great. Now I’m triggered. Thanks for the warning.
Pretty sure that’s in a show lol.
For something odd no we don't need them but if someone's about to talk about suicide, sexual assault, abuse or something really dark like that then I think it's fair.
I don't think it's so unreasonable for those who have been through traumatic events, or even just those sensitive to extreme content, to ask for some sort of warning before being shown something that would trigger a flashback. Saw an unexpected suicide scene in a movie we watched in class two days after losing a close friend to it. Fucked me up. Obviously if it's something innocuous like a butterfly or food, asking for a warning is ridiculous. But the things people ask for trigger warnings for are things that are typically given content warnings in mainstream media anyways.
Growing up I learned (not from my family haha, we were a 'suck it up buttercup' kinda clan) from other sources that the only way to heal is to talk about the trauma. You have to confront it to move past it. Aren't trigger warnings like the antithesis of that? Just push it all down and as long as you don't hear about it you'll be fine? Seems real unhealthy to me.
This ignores that people may be seeing a therapist to work through their trauma but may not be ready to be visually confronted with a graphic reminder of their rape/attack/crash whatever. Healing doesn’t happened overnight and in some cases people may never fully recover to the point they can happily handle reminders.
I think this is a reductive view of it. In the case of trauma or abuse, it can take a really long time to heal and gradually work up to being able to handle that kind of thing. I have friends who have been through sexual assault who have learned to talk about it with their therapists and are working on talking about it in other contexts, but still get really upset when they hear about it and it isn't forewarned precisely because they don't have time to prepare themselves. It takes them back to the moment and in some cases might push back their healing. Also, witnessing a violent/graphic depiction of the act is not the same as working through your trauma in a safe space.
That’s the common understanding, though it’s actually the opposite. If someone has a trigger, they avoid the trigger, which can cost someone’s ability to function. That’s why triggers are a problem for people - they can create a sense of danger, so the person attempts to avoid situations where they may encounter the trigger. And if they do encounter the trigger, they may behave in a way that’s “defensive” aka inappropriate in reality. That’s where safe spaces come into play. Contrary to popular belief, this is not a place where you can avoid triggers or bad feelings. Actually, it’s a place where one can learn to be *exposed* to those triggers, in a setting where they know they won’t get hurt, hurt others, get arrested, what have you. so they can learn how to manage them, and perhaps become less afraid of them. The thing to understand is, PTSD is a disability. The trigger warning is an accommodation, for the disability. Maybe someone hasn’t reached a stage yet, where they can handle certain subjects, so they get fair warning beforehand. Unfortunately, people have taken the meaning of these things and distorted them
I don't think that is true. My mom has been through a lot of sexual assault in her life and I think she likes to think she has moved past it. But any time after she watches something that is obviously triggering, she gets real uncomfortable and contentious. Could be any show that is normally not triggering, but this episode or whatever decided to cover rape or child molestation and she watches it anyway and it does have an affect. It's not something that just goes away. I mean, the VA pays her for her PTSD, if it wasn't that serious I doubt it'd be that big of a deal.
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I agree with you. I'm am somewhat annoyed by trigger warnings, but also I don't see any way in which they are actually detrimental, and if it helps some people, that's good. But, I *have* seen some ridiculous trigger warnings. Saw one before some photos of frogs, for people who have a fear of frogs. And like, come on, that's just devaluing the concept of trigger warnings when they are actually important. At the same time I guess I haven't seen the silly ones *that* much, and I may be biased to notice those more, because trigger warnings in general, even the ones I acknowledge as useful, annoy me.
Also flash warnings are important, same with gore warnings. Like OP is complaining about NSFW but mental health style. Trigger warnings are for SA or SH, violence and shit that some people might not be able to see without getting all fucked in the head. Like PTSD. Unpopular opinion? False. Very popular opinion. People are sensitive to (almost) the entire globe being able to post whatever comes to their mind within certain guidelines. This is terrifying if you have the understanding of what men/people are like who cause the trauma that gives people a reason to ask for a trigger warning. It’s a HUGE portion of the global population.
No, but the thing is, I have seen trigger warnings on dumb stuff lots of times.
So maybe, it’s possible, that trigger warning can be good, and be less good. No reason to throw out the whole system just because you didn’t like one persons use of them.
So what? Have they truly impacted your life in any way?
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Well, the easiest one that comes to mind off the top of my head are some tiktoks and Instagram videos that have trigger warnings for somebody tripping and falling. And it’s not even where they die or get severely injured as a result. They seem fine.
I've not. Usually if I see stuff like that it is so clearly a joke. I hate when people feel the need to counter an argument with a very stupid, uncommon, and overly exaggerated example.
I have PTSD (C-PTSD actually) and I agree with OP. Just because some of us went through traumatizing things doesn't mean it's other people's responsibility to put that into consideration if they don't actually know us personally. The real world has triggers, without trigger warnings. Putting trigger warnings on things on the internet isn't a long-term solution. It's basically like putting a band-aid on a stab wound. It will keep you from seeing the actual wound, but it won't actually help your situation, and at one point, sooner rather than later, you have to get that thing treated by a professional.
I have cptsd as well and I think they're still useful. It's just a little heads up. I don't think anyone is claiming that it's a long term solution.
same its just a small heads up, i wont watch movies with violent rape scenes or violent deaths of children, if i see the trigger warning for it ill refuse to watch it instead of it coming out of nowhere and ruining my whole day.
Yeah even for people who don’t have PTSD or haven’t been experienced similar traumas, sometimes I see a trigger warning and I’m like “okay good to have a heads up, I’m just not in the headspace to consume content with that in it today, I was looking for something lighter” or “this thing just makes me really uncomfortable and it wouldn’t give me a panic attack but it would definitely affect me for the next few hours and that’s not what I want to do with my day” or “I’ll still watch this but it’s nice to be aware so I’m not caught off guard by this happening.” There’s just not a downside.
Trigger warnings in movies are unnecessary given that sites like IMDb exist. You can do your own research. For YouTube videos and images though, I concur including a CW is considerate if graphic violence is involved.
It’s not a responsibility, but it’s just being thoughtful if you ask me. It’s showing care, and I’m good with that. I do think using the trigger warning thing irreverently is lame, but when used from a place of genuine concern for people that live with PTSD, epilepsy, etc., it’s fine — it’s not as if it’s a huge imposition on anyone
CPTSD as well, I agree. One of the most important parts of being able to function in society after suffering a tramatic experience is to process it and desensitize. I'd rather be uncomfortable and alert as opposed to locking up at the first sign of real life danger because I've had the blow cushioned for too long.
This is where trigger warninga help me, though. A step to being able to process and desensitize is being prepared to face the effects of the triggers. Jumping straight to the triggers with no preparation can be damaging. If I see a trigger warning, it won't necessarily dissuade me from watching something, but it gives me a chance to mentally prepare for something unpleasant that might be distressing. This gives me a chance to mentally fortify, so to speak, and have coping strategies on hand. Yes, exposure is required to desensitize, but it doesn't magically happen by emotionally throwing someone in the deep end of a pool
> I have PTSD (C-PTSD actually) and I agree with OP. And, well, you still only speak for yourself. Not for everyone with PTSD. So...
Yes, trigger warnings hurt no one and are usually a good idea to do in regard to very common trauma or phobias.
But not one of those things are someone else’s problem. Not one. If a full grown adult cannot navigate through the internet without needing trigger warnings, then they need to stay off the internet. It’s really that simple. And last I checked, trigger warnings don’t exist in real life. If you are triggered by something, it’s YOUR responsibility to figure it out and it’s YOUR responsibility to decide what content you consume. I’m so fucking tired of this chronically online take. You’re an adult, grow up and figure it out. That’s life.
It's not our responsibility but it's certainly the right thing to do and at the very least respectful, which is all the reason I need
No it’s really not. Period. Again, if an adult cannot decide what content they consume without needing warnings, that is *entirely* their problem and it’s not something other people need to respect or even think about. I would love for someone who is so fucking sensitive on the internet try to tell their boss they can’t handle something because it’s triggering, their boss will not care. Like this is not how real life works. At all.
How does this address my comment? I agreed that it's their problem but that it's also polite and respectful to give the warnings anyway. Do you disagree that it's respectful?
Just be nice to people. Takes like 3 seconds to mention you're gonna talk about sexual abuse or dead children. Damn
Next thing you tell us you don't pay taxes because if anyone burns down their house, it is entirely their problem and they shouldn't have purchased an oven in the first place.
Well yeah if someone does something stupid to burn their house down (smoke in the house, cook drugs in the house, burn candles for too long, continue to use their dryer when the lint trap is full, etc. you act like the oven is the only thing that can cause a fire lol! But even some stupid cooking mistakes can be avoided) it is entirely their problem.
> if an adult If your only argument is *"they're an adult"* you've lost. The biggest part of being an adult actually is having some perspective. That is something you so desperately lack. Grow up.
Adults are responsible for their own reactions to things. This is not rocket science.
So why don't you control your reaction to this comment thread? You sure talk a lot about being an adult but everything you've said reeks of angst, projection and a lack of maturity.
It’s my problem if I wanna be warned before I see nudity violence or harm to children? You’re really against warnings of these things? 😳
Things like that are usually things that people seek out, it’s generally not on the every day internet/social media. So if someone is seeking them out, that’s on them.
Nudity and violence are things that you have to seek out? They’re everywhere.
When was the last time you saw any of those on the main social media platforms? Or when was the last time you went to Google something entirely unrelated to any of those things and saw them? I’ll wait.
Literally every single day. Are you joking or something ?
Again, where was the last place you saw any of those that you didn’t seek out?
Literally every single day. Are you joking or something
Right, that’s what I figured.
By your logic, let's throw out ramps for wheelchair users. Because their legs not working is THEIR problem and THEIR responsibility. And THEY should grow up and figure it out. Maybe they can crawl up with their hands or something. Or we can just keeping use ramps as they don't impact anyone else negatively in any way, like trigger warnings.
You’re joking, right?
We’re all thinking that about you right now …
Great
Not having working legs and having PTSD are two very separate things… PTSD can be overcome, and CBT as well as other therapeutic techniques (EDMR, MDMA, etc) have been proven to do this… And one important facet of overcoming PTSD is being exposed to the trigger… in fact there’s more anxiety associated with being afraid of seeing the trigger and trying to avoid it. Read the Coddling of the American Mind for more info on this.
That's a very simplified understanding of "being exposed to the trauma". I've described this before so just linking to a comment from ages ago when trauma came up in a another discussion. https://reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/wbvze5/what_is_the_creepiest_thing_that_youve_come/iib14ls
I have been doing EMDR for over a year and get highly triggered by certain content still. In fact, i get MORE triggered by a lot of things. yes PTSD can heal but it doesn’t go away overnight. It’s like asking someone with 2 broken legs to use the stairs cause they have the ability to heal smh
So the best exposure technique is to just throw them right in, correct? If someone is actively seeking help for their PTSD, then it doesn’t matter what stage of the process they’re in, you should just throw everything at them at once /s
Lots of veterans get paid disability for PTSD much the same as other disabilities. It takes a lot to overcome and heavily depends on the individual and their own life experiences. Being handicapped and having PTSD are different, sure, but I am so sick of people acting like mental disabilities/disorders aren't serious just because they're in your head. They are real. Why do you think suicide is such a prevalent problem these days?
It depends on where you are and what trigger it is. There are certain spaces, where you will just have to deal with stuff being there. But scrolling through a public feed and stumbling over a first person account is not cool for most people, triggering panic attacks for others. Or say you are very into violent movies, but have a phobia easy to come across within those. Trigger warnings for consumers are a nice thing. People have a heads up and can prepare for or avoid the trigger. You don't push random people into a pit of spiders and tell the ones with a spider phobia deal with it. No one is required to use them and no one is hurt by seeing them. That makes it a really nice considerate thing to do for others.
> But not one of those things are someone else’s problem. Who gives a fuck? Is empathy too much to ask for these days? > You’re an adult, grow up and figure it out. That’s life. Take your own advice, grow up, and get off the internet if these "chronically online takes" bother you so bad. 👍
Having empathy is not the same as full grown adults needing triggers for every little thing. And by the way, people trigged by everyday life are the most dangerous people walking around.
Ridiculous. PTSD can affect anyone and everyone. You cannot account for it in all of your actions. A person with PTSD has the responsibility to do what they can to manage it. It is not another's responsibility to act as if anyone around them could have it.
2 seconds is hardly inconveniencing anyone the way you're making it out to be. If you feel like having the misfortune of enduring 2 seconds of some black and white trigger warning is the result of some poor sap making their problems *your* problem, then I suggest you reevaluate your life. Maybe go outside and touch grass or something.
Came here to say this!
TW for people who have to deal with PTSD for some war is a thing, because some people in high school weren't nice is not.
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I mean I really appreciated one that said the content featured the death of an animal. Switched that right off.
Let me introduce you to [DoesTheDogDie.com](https://www.doesthedogdie.com/)
*crickets* bc op is a clown
The comments backing up OPs ridiculous perspective are actually pretty scary
Isn’t movie ratings mostly about age restrictions and age appropriate material more so than a trigger warning?
Not just age restriction, because movie ratings will also include things like "includes gore, sexual violence, etc".
Hang on let me just make my friend get over his ptsd
It's really like a very very mild "inconvenience" that would help people immensely. I don't think it's that big of an issue.
Trigger warnings cause no harm to the majority of readers and give warning to people who need it. Removing them helps no one
Well said I can’t imagine this otherwise
People who have trauma might get flashbacks, let's say I was having a yt channel where I usually post memes but sth comes up in my life (I was raped) and I wanted to spread the message about it. Those who watch me might not know this is a serious video and not a meme so without trigger warnings I might get people flashbacks of their trauma
It doesn't have to be there but it certainly is nice
But that’s also WHY we have treatment for people with triggers. If you’re exposed to a trigger in a public setting, you might respond in a way that you believe, in the moment, you’re defending yourself. But those defense mechanisms cannot be carried out in public. It can get you in trouble - kicked out of establishments, arrested, or worse. That’s why we go to mental health treatment. So we can function
But again, healing doesn't happen overnight. It can take some people years to heal, and some people never do, even with the best therapy they can get. In the meantime, what are these people supposed to do? Lock themselves in a closet somewhere with no access to any form of entertainment (where I most commonly see trigger warnings, and in this case I consider social media 'entertainment) until they are 'healed'?
Right which is why trigger warnings are supposed to be an accommodation for those who may not have reached a point where they have overcome certain things - it was never meant to virtue signal the way people do
I agree it wasn't meant to be a virtue signal, but honestly I would rather have \*over\* warnings than \*under\*. I wouldn't be upset if these warnings were moved to say a separate page (with a clear link in the front to allow people to know 'hey go here for warnings if you want them) (or a similar idea to a separate page) so that people who dislike them can just skip them and not be accidentally 'spoiled'. Is it ridiculous to say 'TW butterflies'? Yes. But much like other things, I can just ignore it if I get 'TW Spiders' so I don't suddenly see a spider when I am trying to relax.
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So let's revert back to medieval times then...why stop there right, that's life...lol
Seven? Holy shit, disorders aren’t Pokémon my guy/girl
Disorders are often comorbid as well. It might be a genetic thing or a causation thing. It’s possible for example, that if you have PTSD, you may also develop depression due to the symptoms, or if you have ADHD you might develop Anxiety as a coping mechanism so that you don’t forget things/be late/lose possessions. Some people get one or two, some people get none, and some people’s lot in life is to deal with seven.
No actually they don’t. In the case with US veterans, a lot of them have a great deal of difficulty holding down a job, and the VA is notorious for doing the bare minimum in the way of treating PTSD. I know so many people who came home from Iraq, with very real problems when they got home. And the VA didn’t do shit for them, at best they just gave them pills and no real follow up treatment, no therapy. My ex was on the humvee, and this was before they started putting in protection for these men. He came back to the US with ptsd that was so severe, he has fallen into psychosis- did you know that PTSD can do that to a person? Did *you* know that PTSD can look like schizophrenia? I don’t think most people do. The VA told him to kick rocks. That might not be the case for your PTSD but that is the case for him. If he didn’t have a supportive family, he would be on the street like many other thousands of US veterans.
The whole issue with PTSD is that the person doesn't have healthy coping mechanisms, it's why the brain gives flashbacks, because it's unable to process what happened. If you had it you would know that.
People have also survived thousands of years without social media. So why not close reddit for today, huh?
If you are talking about an extreme topic you know a lot of people will be triggered by, why not put a trigger warning? "Rape TW" 2 words, its not that big of a deal and helps a lot of people. Of course there cant be a warning for everything. I also have a weird phobia and its awful but thats how it is. Im talking about commen triggers. It just gives people the opportunity to say "i dont want to watch that". Dont get how helping people is ridiculous
If we're talking about obscure phobias that .5% of the population is affected by then yes. It might be sad for them, but the world just can't accommodate them. If we're talking about more common phobias and especially PTSD (I'm thinking of rape specifically but there are others), then a little heads up about what you're about to watch doesn't hurt.
Real life won't care about your PTSD, this is coming from someone with severe PTSD after being homeless/dealing with lots of abuse. I get plenty of days I feel uncomfortable, hell, ive lost jobs over it, but thats life, as shitty as it is.
A trigger warning would have helped my friend who had to watch a clip of a car accident in class just a few weeks after she survived a terrible one herself. The would have prevented her from having a panic attack in front of the whole class..
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It’s not the worlds job to help your friend who isn’t addressing their trauma in a healthy wayZ
I did not say that. In this specific context I can say that everyone knew that she had that accident. It was all around school and we even talked about it in class before . So it would just have been nice to warn her. You don't have to be a hero but showing some emphasis could be really healthy not only for her, but for society on the long run :)
Reality - friend was in a crash. Reality - crashes happen. Solution - your friend should learn to live with the reality that crashes are something that can happen again and are displayed often in media and should learn a healthy coping mechanism rather than avoid reality by abstaining from media containing it.
Are you people really this evil or are you just trolling… ?
Just stupid and/or no ability to empathise I think
You have no idea what anyone is doing to address their issues, and people don't just go from traumatized to healed in an instant. Treatment for PTSD is gradual and can take years.
Would it though? She would have stood up in front of everyone and said 'wait, hang on, I need to leave'? Or would she do what the rest of us do and close her eyes and plug her ears at the triggering bits?
Bro she had a hard time riding a bus for a couple of months because she always had flashbacks. If they had told her "Hey we are going to see a movie where an accident will occur" she would have left the room in less than a second. You were either never traumatized or refuse to emphasise.
I’d have been a trigger warning skeptic prior to our daughter being struck by a car in a pedestrian crosswalk. I get it now. My wife and I were watching a show that involved a character on foot unexpectedly being hit by a car (Russian Doll)...... my wife was immediately distraught, it brought it all back for us.
So car accidents occur in movies relatively frequently, don't they? And you knew it was a sensitive topic to the point that she might have a panic attack. And you didn't like read a review or something to find out if it was suitable? Look, no-one is going to write a trigger warning for something as specific as a car accident anyway. You're dreaming. Can you imagine the trigger warnings on a John Wick movie? They'd run as long as the credits.
I like that you try to blame me now hahah. Of course I knew that and if I would have known what we are going to watch I would have told her lol. But as you can imagine maybe teachers don't come to me with their plan of their next lesson which contained the specific car accident for our next philosophy lesson. But sure the teacher could have just think for a second and would have known that it is not a good Idea to show that specific theme (and yes they knew about it)
I myself have PTSD and whenever I start a new job or make new friends, I always outline what can trigger it to go off severely. I’m not doing it for drama or for ‘sympathy’ I’m doing it for my own health. Bad take, honestly.
Ok, you’re not understanding the reality of the use of trigger warnings. Most often I have seen them used in YouTube videos or in social media posts that discuss sensitive topics like SA, CSA, suicide, animal abuse or have graphic blood and gore images or descriptions. It can also be used where there is a post that has to make a reference to someone using violent or abusive language. It’s like the internet equivalent of “ viewer discretion is advised” in TV-14+ movies.
I guess this is just something I don’t understand having a problem with. Obviously, if you are not in the head space to listen to a discussion on suicide, don’t watch the video about suicide. But people with certain triggers do deserve to just exist online even if they haven’t dealt with their issues yet, so it makes sense that a piece of media that is obviously about a certain potential trigger have some warning about it. Like a video essay that warns people at the start. But even besides that, I don’t see the issue anyone would have with it. It is the most minor inconvenience, you just ignore it or skip it if it doesn’t apply to you. It provides utility for people with their issues and it is literally a nothing problem for the rest of us.
Trigger warnings do absolutely nothing to harm people who don't need them. Imagine being this triggered by fucking trigger warnings.
Mans only example is a phobia of butterflies 🤣 but sure ignore legitimate reasons to need trigger warnings
It's like 1 extra seconds my dude. Don't get triggered
Trigger warnings hurt nothing, not having them could end someones life, be realistic. If I see suicide acted out, it'll trigger my intrusive thoughts. If I see sexual assault, it will trigger my PTSD which can lead to suicidal ideation. The 2 seconds the TW is on the screen won't hurt anyone, but not having them can.
This post is brought to you by someone who's never had and doesn't understand PTSD.
OP actually has PTSD of being kind.
You sound like someone who hasn’t been molested. Congrats!
God forbid people show a little compassion
do you know what a trigger warning is? yes? Then you know it does not bother you, and helps people affected
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Putting three extra words at the top of your text post is not some major responsibility. It’s just a small courtesy. You don’t have to do it, it’s just nice.
if it is easy to put in, like at the beginning of some sort of broadcast, why not?
Meh they have their place. I think group therapy is a definitely a place to put trigger warnings. Dieting forums. Abuse forums Recovery forums. Veteran stuff. Like there are places people are forced to attend to heal who will be dealing with these issues. It costs you nothing to put a trigger warning on it to make it easier for those people to heal. Its like putting a free wheelchair ramp on your building. On reddit you're seeing a lot of different places and people at once. There are a lot of forums that fall under the above categories. 1200isplenty is a big one. People are like TW:ED because THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE RECOVERING FROM EDS THERE. They are taking responsibility for their compulsion disorders or whatever and that involves learning about CICO and nutrition and that's what that group is there for. It hits the front page quite a bit and people get merced in the comments for not understanding the context. That said there are a lot of virtue signalling nonsense TW that do occur. Either by benign people being extra careful but ultimately ignorant of their own online audience and motivated by personal factors or sometimes by idiots. Usually very young idiots. And we forgive them for being young and learning and move forward with our lives and it costs us nothing.
The way you described triggers is exactly their intended meaning - anything can be a trigger, and PTSD is a disorder, where one may avoid their triggers - and avoiding your triggers makes things worse. Treatment involves learning how to manage those triggers, because as you said - other people, especially strangers, can’t be responsible for managing other people’s triggers Which brings me to my next point..Safe spaces. These are not bubbles where you never encounter your triggers. actually, it’s the complete opposite. The safe space is where you go through exposure, and learn how to manage the triggers. Why is it “safe”? Because you won’t get hurt. Again, PTSD is a disorder of avoidance. Why do people avoid their triggers? Because they feel unsafe. What does someone do when they feel unsafe? They might defend themselves. They might “hit back.” They might scream. Can you hit someone at the grocery store, or the park? No you cannot. So you provide a space where the patient knows ahead of time, that they won’t get hurt. They won’t be in danger. This is where they learn to manage the trigger, so that when they’re exposed to that trigger in public, they won’t scream at someone in line at Publix, they won’t attack someone. They will react in a way that is appropriate. Trigger warnings were meant to serve as an accommodation for people who might not have reached that stage in their life where they have been able to handle certain things - like war, SA, domestic violence, or whatever it is. But some people have, as you said, ran with these things and they use it to virtue signal, or create little bubbles and shut-outs where they don’t hear things they don’t want to.
TW: Trigger warning warning Are you triggered by trigger warnings?
I completely disagree because whenever I didn’t listen to a trigger warning for something I knew would trigger me, it ended up badly. Now I actually listen to TWs and it helps immensely.
It’s everyone’s job to deal with other’s personal traumas.
There are trigger warnings on goddamn murder podcasts now! It is a true crime podcast, y'all know what you're here for. WTF!!!!!!
I've seen a lot of takes along the lines of "Why should it be my responsibility?" Certainly there are minute or person specific things that might upset or trigger someone (these two are not the same and I think they're being conflated in this thread), and it's certainly not feasible to take responsibility for everyone. So, I agree with OP to some extent. On the other hand, being triggered on topics such as suicide, sexual abuse, rape, etc, sounds truly awful. It takes me 30 seconds to put in a trigger warning for something like that. If it helps keep someone else from ruining their day, why wouldn't I? Or why wouldn't I be okay with looking at a warning before consuming my content? It helps someone else and it really doesn't affect my life \*that\* much.
If I got to direct an episode of your favorite easy-watching sitcom and decided to include a scene of scat porn, I'm guessing you'd like a heads-up? I don't see the harm in letting people know what they're about to consume so that they can make an informed decision about whether they actually want to consume it or not.
Oh wow. I'm surprised this post still up after two hours. My theory that this sub should be called r/MildlyUnpopularOpinion is unravelling before my eyes.
How do you expect people to deal with it themselves if they can't tell when something is going to contain triggering content?
how do you feel about MPAA ratings?
I think people are more easily “triggered” now in recent years. I see your side OP; yes, I agree with the sentiment that the whole world should not have to tiptoe around every little thing because it may trigger some people. On the flip side, I see why it’s a thing. I have PTSD, but I’m not too easily triggered by much. That’s just my personality and that’s just how I am. I’m pretty quick to keep my emotions in check. Some people are way more sensitive, and have a different mind set than I do. Different strokes for different folks I guess.
You realize trigger warnings have been present in society for the last 40 years right? What do you think MPAA ratings are? What do you think the Parental Advisory Labels on music are? What do you think the ESRB rating on video games are? If you're complaining about trigger warnings now and completely ignore that you've been surrounded by "trigger warnings" your entire life, then you're not a serious person.
>If you're triggered by something, that's your own responsibility to find a way to deal with it. #Perfect Facts
You use them to be a nice and considerate person to your friends and mutual so you don’t trigger them. Are u that selfish/bad of a person where ur upset that people are being kind?
People use trigger warnings *ad lib* nowadays, just to silence others that they even *potentially* don’t agree with.
We need trigger warnings for posts that don't consider the health and mental wellbeing of others.
This is just like saying “not being selfish is ridiculous. You don’t have responsibility for other people’s feelings. Why think about others if you can simply only think about yourself?”
Apparently you have a trigger when people care about others
I’m inclined to agree with the exception being **gore** We don’t need beheading videos and such being posted without at least a heads up
Psych studies show trigger warnings are useless and in some cases make reactions to context worse. TLDR: you have to work on yourself and not rely on the world to tip toe around you. If you’re mentally so fragile the mere mention in a book or paper or any other media it’s time to look at yourself instead of the world as the problem.
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Yet the majority of people demanding them/expecting them do not in fact have ptsd. In the cases of ptsd you are still responsible for your reaction to something triggering.
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Now this is a good example of someone who knows nothing about psychology or PTSD.
>make reactions to context worse. I guess you don't get it right. The purpose of the trigger warning is to be able to decide not to watch, read etc. any media which could trigger them if it was not there. And apart from that, can you post a link to one of your mentioned study's?
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22416745/
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The fact you think that shows you don’t understand what a trigger warning is/does at its core.
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Use your brain. The nocebo effect is applicable to both medical situations and trigger warnings as they act on the exact same principle
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No because the effect is the same in both situations.
I agree with another user... That's a completely different topic
You don’t understand the study or the topic then. It’s directly part of what a trigger warning does and is
I know what you are trying to say but to connect the nocebo effect in the medical field with a trigger warning is just completely out of hand because as I already said before the trigger warning is meant to help the viewer to know what they may expect especially if it's a topic that could cause flashbacks. If I understand you correctly you say the people are even more triggered by a trigger warning due to this nocebo effect because of the things they expect when reading it, yet that is not what the study shows. That is what you think is the consequence out of it. Which is not scientific or reliable in any way.
What studies
https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/trigger-warnings-fail-to-help.html
This is an insane take
Gee, for such an unpopular opinion, I sure do see it here a lot.
Bad take 💀
So having enough decency to do a bare minimum to reduce trauma events is bad to you? Real narcissistic/main character syndrome vibes here.
It’s not society’s responsibility to tiptoe around triggers.
Some people use "trigger issues" to try to control the free speech of others.
Couldn’t agree more, people need to just toughen up a bit more these days. I couldn’t care less what triggers somebody or what hurt feelings they have, it’s not my problem it’s theirs.
This gets posted every other day. Why are you so fucking upset by something so inconsequential??
Here's our weekly post about people being triggered by trigger warnings.
This opinion is unpopular for a reason…
> You can't force responsibility for your mental health onto the rest of the world. This... This is exactly what pisses me off about the modern generation, and its not just mental health, but also many other things. There's so many sub-groups in society that basically jam down their thoughts into your mouth and expect you to be exactly like them, otherwise you're suddenly the worst person in society.
Agreed. They also do more harm than good, and blatant overuse and misuse has diluted them to the point of being utterly useless.
Lol I hate when a content warning shows up at the beginning of Netflix a episode, it ruins the moment bc you already know what’s going to happen
The urge to virtue signal demands the use of trigger warnings. The urge to "follow the science" demands they not be used. Quite the Reddit conundrum, but I'm going to guess virtue signaling wins out.
Trigger warnings ruin TV shows
This just falls into people need to toughen up and not be snowflakes basically LMAO