Trigger Warnings - Courtesy or Avoidance?

[Shiver]

I think that trigger warnings can be a good idea for things related to things that have a serious potential to affect someone's mental health. It's easy to be dismissive of them for people who don't bear large traumas with them.

This is it precisely. They were originally intended for those who bear trauma, and for whom exposure to certain words or ideas could trigger a panic attack or PTSD-like episode. They're compassionate and useful in that sense.

They were never intended to shield people from words or ideas they might dislike or find upsetting.

Should you put them on a college syllabus? Hard to say. But it helps to understand what they're actually for, so that they don't get trivialized or mocked.

 

[Father Figure]

Trigger warnings are completely detrimental to society and to victims. They are quintessentially undermining to every aspect of a healing process, effectively ensuring that people will remain thinking and believing themselves to be permanently broken. Several studies have been conducted in numerous fields with the overwhelming conclusion that trigger warnings provide nothing to those who have not been traumatized, but are very detrimental to those who have been traumatized and their coping mechanisms regarding it. It is a sincere shame to watch an entire world tell someone who has been shattered that they can never be whole again.

- Father

 

[Tanakalian]

@Father Figure There have also been studies done that people react with anxiety at a trigger warning itself. Almost like, telling someone, "Hey, what you're about to read will upset you" makes them anticipate getting upset and they get more stressed and anxious than in instances when they weren't warned at all.

Don't forget those that, while there is such a warning, and they know they shouldn't read further, their curiousity takes the better of them. Because, how bad can it be?

 

[Reydan]

As someone who has taught in Higher Education and used trigger warnings on a syllabus, I do think they are important. You need to strip away the hyperbole and understand the essence of what they are there for - to prevent people reliving trauma. Let me give you an example:

I taught modern history and one of the weeks was on how suicide in the West has been seen differently over time. A shift from outright condemnation on religious grounds - something you were stigmatised for and your family shamed - to something more recent generations have seen through a compassionate medical view - something to be understood and treated. Not a badge of sin or shame but something indicative of bigger social and medical problems that need to be addressed openly. A big, important, cultural change that its important for students to study.

Part of the class involved reading the accounts, in newspapers, of people who had tried, and failed, to take their own lives. The earlier ones of these were very harsh, very graphic, and often illustrated in sensational ways. I always warned classes the week before that we would be discussing this at length for two hours, and they would be reading about it before that, and offered them the chance to approach me if they felt uncomfortable. In the four years I taught that course, I only had one student approach me - someone whose mother had killed herself three years before he started University. So we shifted him - he moved into a colleague's class for that one week where he looked at changing social attitudes to sexual violence instead.

The important thing, for me, is that the trigger warning I delivered wasn't something he used to dodge something he thought ''icky'' or ''gross'' or to just shield himself from anything uncomfortable - he had no problems with the tough content of the other class he moved into. All he wanted was to avoid having painful real life memories dredged up in front of a group of twenty fellow students. Perfectly understandable imho.

I often think of him when people complain about trigger warnings, particularly in Universities. It strikes me - no offence to posters here - that often critics have only a vague idea of how trigger warnings are actually used in a day-to-day setting in a University. So hopefully this little example will offer a little bit more understandings all around.

 

[Father Figure]

Reydan,

Forgive me, but your thoughts while they would be considered reasonable are in all honesty a disservice to the victim and to those who are critical. The categorical idea that critics are those who do not understand trigger warnings or that those who have suffered trauma require them is the underlying falsehood involved. Life does not provide you opportunity to avoid your pain. Life does not provide you the kindness of sidestepping your suffering. If the worst that you suffer after having been a victim of trauma is to face it in classroom setting through the lens of literature or discussion then you should count yourself blessed. If you are incapable of doing so then you should realize you require further endeavors to bolster yourself. There is a significant problem if you've been damaged so deeply that you can't attend a college class. Just as you discuss the idea of suicide as something that has shifted over the history of time from stigma to "compassionate" medical view, you must realize that trigger warnings are no kindness. They are stigmatizing the survivor.

Further these emotional, compassionate, merciful thoughts are the byproduct of individuals who believe that all think like they do and all should adhere to these thought processes. That if you do not adhere then you must not understand. It is a failure to grasp that people will take advantage of mercy and guilt, that people will weaponize victim hood. This is the large scale concept of social and medical problems regarding trigger warnings that must be addressed openly, that pandering to the lowest common denominator of the human soul is a certainty that a person remains shattered. People do not rise up unless they are required to do so, history has proven that time and time again. Life offers you nothing but responsibility for yourself, trying to take that responsibility for their own lives away from them for their own well being keeps them victims.

- Father

 

[Gentleman of the noose]

In theory the idea of trigger warnings could be useful. People do have their own traumas and averse reactions to certain things, so it makesTotally agree sense to try and warn them away from such things.

In practice however, this is very rarely the case. Nowadays, most instances of people having 'triggers' comes across as shorthand for 'I don't like this particular thing, so I'm going to whine about it until people listen.'

As with all things, I blame tumblr for being the newest cesspit of the internet. The overabundance of that term being inappropriately used there has led to the concept of a trigger warning being trivialized and made a mockery of, so even if you do wat to use if genuinely it's that much harder for people to take much notice of it.

All the same, I'm going to side with your professor on this sort of thing. People now seem to have no real thick skin and seem to actively seek out reasons to get offended or shocked. It just makes it harder for people with genuine problems.

Totally agree with your proffessor, we need to learn to develop a bit of a thicker skin if we expect to sail the web. I think whinners are nothing but attention seekers with nothing to say or do to attract attention in a good way, as in they're not artists nor writers or performers but they need attention and it's kind of a physiological urge just like eating to them so they get on whinning. As for trigger warnings I think tags are needed so I can go to the point when I look for something especific

 

[RedRose]

I think people profundly triggered by Something are less likely to even let you know.

 

[Degusaurusrex]

I'd say it depends on the topic/content. If I go in thinking I'm reading some super cutesy love story because of the beginning and it turns into a brutal rape scene, I want a heads up so I don't start reading a post and go "Oh. Well I really didn't need to see that." I've followed authors before and loved all the snippets they post, and then BAM out of nowhere they're posting rapey stuff and it threw me off and actually upset me.

If it's clear from the get-go what the topic is about and someone still clicks on it, they're going in at their own risk. But things are often misleading and I think the more 'brutal', detailed traumatic like things should have a warning, yes. Especially if the audience is younger people. I don't believe it's a disservice to the victims, people just don't want to relive horrific experiences when they're making progress in their own ways. Keeping yourself away from situations that will harm your progress isn't wrong, it's being smart. Should I subject myself to reading about horrible things? No. It doesn't mean I'm broken just because I don't want to, or sometimes can't, handle them. People can still heal even while wanting to stay away from the things that hurt them.

I prefer trigger warnings and I don't view myself as weak or broken because of it. I simply understand it would be bad for the progress I've made. Everyone is different. No one dealing with fresh trauma wants to relive it because some asshole decided to purposely screw with readers/viewers/whatnot. Sure, it might make me a little anxious when I realize there's 'bad' content, but I just move onto something else to get my mind off that, and the anxiety goes away. To me, a bit of anxiety is better than crumbing depression over something that got to me.

But, just my opinion, so rant ended.

 

[Staine]

Trigger warnings aren't really that bad to be quite honest, I have one in one of my roleplays that is rather dark and opens with a bloody murder by a sadistic teenage girl who witnessed her mother's murder at a young age, I don't think many people on this site will need such a warning but it's nice to have it just in case, no?

I understand the argument that professor was making and it's very valid, I get a little frustrated by how easily offended people are these days sometimes, it seems silly to me and as I grew up watching stand up comedy with my younger brother I never got very easily offended. People used to joke about almost anything, and while a lot are distasteful that was all they were, jokes, the people making them did it for a living, sometimes the very purpose was to shock and offend and if you were the kind to get offended, you just didn't watch. Now, with free and easy access to every video ever and everything anybody says immediately tweeted and retweeted thousands of times it seems easy to dive on it and try to 'stamp it out', with anybody logging in daily finding dozens of things to get offended and outraged about. It's just a sign of the times changing, it frustrates when you see it happen, I watched a TED talk on it recently where a woman's life was destroyed in hours because of a joke that is quite likely misconstrued. It's a shame, but it is what it is.

Now with all that being said, I think it is just as silly to be against trigger warnings, They cost you seconds to put up in the title of a particularly dark roleplay or article and they could save some genuine stress and anxiety for some people, I don't see the harm in them at all when it's so easy to include. They have their place, they are useful for people to know what to avoid and even if nobody ever pays attention to them you lost next to nothing in including one.

 

[Sinshyne]

I think trigger warnings in things like pictures, videos, and texts is just silly. Though a nsfw note would be nice. Like someone mentioned earlier if you react so badly to text/pics that you need to be warned about something, then you need therapy. Not saying that to be mean - but to be real.

However trigger warnings irl are a different matter. My best friend was grabbed from behind when she was nine years old, dragged under a nearby house and raped. To this day, when people get too close behind her unexpectedly, she will start to go into a panic attack. So when I am moving behind her I am always careful to let her know where I am.

 

[Trussed Maiden]

Honestly, I think they're a bit much. The content shouldn't go out of its way to look fine and jump people into gore, but if the content is pretty easy to assume, you should be prepared. Something that needs a trigger warning is something you need to overcome, because it will come someday, and the only way it goes away is if you are chill with it.

There's stuff that really puts me on edge sometimes. I can't let the 'trigger' hold me back, especially if the content is still good and the 'trigger' is not forced on me.

 

[Dark Horse]

I have to wonder how sensitive people are becoming and how logical it is. I recently had an experience on another role play site where I used the term "Grammar Nazi" in my request thread, I didn't think much of it, it's a common term simply meaning someone who is pedantic about grammar. I received a PM from the Mod asking me to change it so as not to "Trigger" anyone. Really?! I am not sure how that can trigger anyone and given that site is one where you can write about murder, rape, incest, non con etc I find it difficult to accept that someone could be offended by that term.

I ended up getting banned of course because I questioned the logic behind it, not to mention the mod was being rather Nazi like (or Communist for that matter) in trying to control which terms could be used.

Just very silly to me.

 

[Dark Horse]

Can't seem to edit my last post so...

Another example is down here we have a brand of cheese called "Coon" which is American owned anyway. It is named Coon because that is the surname of the guy who created it, there is an Aboriginal guy here for the last 21 years who has been trying to get the name changed because he feels "intimidated" when he sees the name in the shopping aisles! Now, Coon was never a derogatory term used down here for a start.

Sadly, this guy has managed to pressure Coon into changing their name and funnily enough, he is now still not happy because they didn't consult with him or Aboriginal groups about what to change it to!!

As a bit of a background we have town names down here with the words Coon in them and there is also the Maine Coon cat as well as Racoons so you just have to wonder how much more stupidity there will be over this.

 

[Jericho Z. Barrons]

On the one hand, @Dark Horse it might seem silly or extreme for people to make a fuss about something as simple as a company name or a product name or a sports team. But there is something to be said about the sensitivity of people who feel the need to cling to something so admittedly simple and seem to desperately want it to stay the same. If it's so minor an issue, then it shouldn't be a problem to change it. Companies change their names, logos, colors, market, etc. all the time on their own.

The fact is, coon was used(and is still used by certain groups and in parts of the U.S.) as a derogatory term. It'd be like if the N word or the hard R word or the F word(derogatory for homosexuals) was a company name. Does it matter if it was just the company owner's name? It's still the word.

Sometimes, companies will resist changing their image or their name if there is no incentive to do so, or it feels needlessly costly. So, sometimes a lawsuit or public outcry is the only real way to give the company feedback. The company CEOs and Marketers honestly don't care that the company is named Coon. And like I stated, I might question someone who really made a stink about the change as if that HAS to stay the company name, but then they don't get uptight about other companies that make similar name changes to update their image for modern consumers.

 

[Dark Horse]

@The Goodman But how sensitive are we going to be? Coon is a name are we not intelligent enough to see the difference between that and a derogatory term? There is also a surname Hoare, should we change that because it may cause offence to someone? There is a seed called Rapeseed should we change that?

In short, you will never be Woke enough to satisfy some people anyway.

 

[Jericho Z. Barrons]

I'm not overly fond with the movement of the goal posts but fair enough. You may not be aware of this, but language changes all the time. Names for things change all the time. It is about utility. If a word is no longer useful or popular, it gets changed. This has been going on for a long time. Who's the sensitive one? The one who doesn't want to buy a product/see a product every time they go to the store with an outdated slur for their race on it? Or the one making hyperbolic claims about stuff nobody has asked to change the names of?

Just, think about what you're in defense of and why.

 

[Dark Horse]

@The Goodman Language does change but who decides who is allowed to be offended? As per my other post about Grammar Nazi, am I not allowed to be offended for lack of a better word of the stupidity of it all? Seems to me that only some people are allowed to take offence.

 

[Jericho Z. Barrons]

@Dark Horse In an answer to your statement about only some people being allowed to take offense, I'd say that you should probably look in a mirror. You're claiming your right to be offended is based on other people being stupid(meaning that anything they care about/their feelings are not valid or legitimate in your opinion). I don't know how to continue the discussion from this point, so, I'm going to stop until a better, more consistent point is made.

 

[Dark Horse]

@The Goodman Yes of course, I have no right to an opinion, a voice or anything at all because it does not meet the criteria. I should just do as you are and parrot the trendy (non) causes. I apologize profusely for challenging you and I can see clearly that you have no interest in intelligent discussion. I am sure I will be banned for not being a PC lunatic. Sick to death of your type and your aggressive nonsense. And yes, to me you are being aggressive.

 

[Maze]

No where in The Goodman's posts do I see any form of aggression.
To be quite honest, you seem far more aggressive especially with your last comment which definitely takes away from trying to engage in any further conversation.

 

[Lady Irony]

I think society has become too sensitive about the wrong things. All cut up over fucking words!

As someone who has worked in an emergency response type role and seen suicides, deaths and dead bodies I can give you a few ideas about what really matters and what people should be taking action over.

Words and terminology though? Nope. As we say down here, "Mix some cement into your coffee and harden the fuck up".

 

[Tanakalian]

I think society has become too sensitive about the wrong things. All cut up over fucking words!

As someone who has worked in an emergency response type role and seen suicides, deaths and dead bodies I can give you a few ideas about what really matters and what people should be taking action over.

Words and terminology though? Nope. As we say down here, "Mix some cement into your coffee and harden the fuck up".

A couple of years ago, on a writing site I was on, there was a writing challenge. No idea anymore what the theme was, but I wrote a short piece about a serial kidnapper. Six or seven of the girls he took and kept for a year. It was based on a character I have lying around, and an eventual roleplay would be about the man and his last victim.
Anyway, I thought it would be fun to write this challenge from first tense POV. I had it read by a few of my friends, specifically for explicit language, which there was none. It was all very suggestive, the things he did with his victims.

It was cut down by staff, and against my approval put behind a spoiler, for it was too personal, and I should be lucky not to be reported to police. (I kid you not)

I deleted the whole piece and not long after left.

So yeah, I'm with you, people should mix that cement in (great way of saying things, I'll see if I can translate that into Dutch and use it)

 

[Xanaphia]

Trigger warnings are not censorship, they are a part of informed consent. Much like movie or tv show ratings or hell, a simple NSFW warning, they merely give a heads up to what is coming. I find them incredibly freeing, because I can write whatever violent, sadistic, perverse, twisted, over-all fucked up shit I can imagine, and not have to worry about upsetting or offending readers, all by including a trigger warning.

When did a simple request for courtesy become so triggering for some people?

 

[Lady Irony]

A couple of years ago, on a writing site I was on, there was a writing challenge. No idea anymore what the theme was, but I wrote a short piece about a serial kidnapper. Six or seven of the girls he took and kept for a year. It was based on a character I have lying around, and an eventual roleplay would be about the man and his last victim.
Anyway, I thought it would be fun to write this challenge from first tense POV. I had it read by a few of my friends, specifically for explicit language, which there was none. It was all very suggestive, the things he did with his victims.

It was cut down by staff, and against my approval put behind a spoiler, for it was too personal, and I should be lucky not to be reported to police. (I kid you not)

I deleted the whole piece and not long after left.

So yeah, I'm with you, people should mix that cement in (great way of saying things, I'll see if I can translate that into Dutch and use it)

If it was a site similar to this one than I think people should know what to expect. There are all sorts of depraved ideas and dark themes. I find it silly that they would try and say "Hey you can't do that". Some people also lack the creative mind and don't understand that even if something is written in 1st person or a POV perspective it doesn't mean it is the writer themselves saying it. It is still the character.

A lot of people don't get that or are upset by it. I find it interesting as to me it is clutching at straws.

 

[Tanakalian]

If it was a site similar to this one than I think people should know what to expect. There are all sorts of depraved ideas and dark themes. I find it silly that they would try and say "Hey you can't do that". Some people also lack the creative mind and don't understand that even if something is written in 1st person or a POV perspective it doesn't mean it is the writer themselves saying it. It is still the character.

A lot of people don't get that or are upset by it. I find it interesting as to me it is clutching at straws.

Yeah, exactly that. As far as I'm aware we're on an adult site, and only adults are allowed here. That saying 'If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen' always pops up at those situations.