Posted January 14, 2021
low rated
Trigger warnings serve a useful purpose. Some people, particularly those suffering from various forms of PTSD, can be triggered when they see or read about events that they have experienced in the past. For example, seeing a clip of war could trigger someone who has fought in a nasty war, or (more relevant to this topic) could have had someone (probably someone they know) take out a weapon and attack (possibly even kill) their children. If such a person encounters such a trigger unexpectedly, it could trigger a relapse of their condition.
The trigger warning, then, serves two purposes:
1. It allows the person to make a decision of whether to engage with the triggering content. The person might not be ready to deal with their trigger when first seeing the warning, but might be more comfortable later.
2. It makes the person expect the trigger. If they know that there's triggering content (and it helps to be specific about *what* the trigger is), then they can mentally prepare, and I believe studies have shown that the consequences of exposure to the trigger are significantly less severe if they are prepared for it.
It's quite similar to the reasons why some content (Cyberpunk 2077 at release, for example) would need an epilepsy warning.
The trigger warning, then, serves two purposes:
1. It allows the person to make a decision of whether to engage with the triggering content. The person might not be ready to deal with their trigger when first seeing the warning, but might be more comfortable later.
2. It makes the person expect the trigger. If they know that there's triggering content (and it helps to be specific about *what* the trigger is), then they can mentally prepare, and I believe studies have shown that the consequences of exposure to the trigger are significantly less severe if they are prepared for it.
It's quite similar to the reasons why some content (Cyberpunk 2077 at release, for example) would need an epilepsy warning.