Trigger Warnings

[ImprobablePuffin]

Just trying to gauge if I'm a cold hearted monster or if my belief that this has gone too far is justified.

It seems in a lot of my FB groups now every post comes with a trigger warning. Don't get me wrong, I believe certain things eg abuse, rape etc SHOULD come with a trigger warning BUT I'm seeing posts in gardening groups with caterpillars on a leaf which comes with a 'bug' trigger warning or in a local group posts about damp in a house coming with a trigger warning.

Does this not invalidate the things that deservedly come with a warning or should everyone be prepared in advance as to what they about to read no matter how ridiculous they may seem?

YANBU - everything has gone a bit mad

YABU - everyone should be warned in advance of what content is about to be discussed

That made me laugh out loud.

Bonkers but hilariously so

YANBU
I am in a few mental health groups on FB, and it is perfectly understandable to have trigger warnings for things that might potentially trigger other people. Stuff like discussing, self harm, abuse etc.
One member in a group I am in got very upset that a picture of 4 houses (it was one of those 'which house would you live in' things with 4 options) did not have a trigger warning and she left the group. Still confused over that one!

Oh I'm in a couple of mainly American groups and it's trigger warning central over there, or so it seems. I totally get respecting the experiences and fears of other people but some of them are ridiculous.

YANBU

I just wish people would give a clear title to their posts in the first place and then it wouldn’t be needed. “AIBU-Trigger warning” is spectacularly unhelpful. “AIBU about this spider (pictured)/child sexual abuse issue/eating disorder/graphic horror movie scene” would be an awful lot better.

Fundamentally though I don’t believe you have the right never to come across anything you might find offensive, triggering or difficult, especially in the context of an optional internet chat board.

I can't see the harm, personally. It takes 2 seconds out of my day to potentially not upset someone - I can understand if you're triggered by something specific like bugs you shouldn't be watching a documentary about ants i.e. you are responsible for avoiding triggers where you can, but the Internet is a big and varied place and you can't always know what you're going to stumble across or what will be put into your feeds. Rather than add to an environment which stops people with genuinely crippling fears using social media, I try and tag things if I can.

Mmm. When I see Trigger Warning it makes me think of one (or several) of the things that could trigger me 🤷‍♀️

Pathetic snowflakery.

I worked in my university language library for a few terms. One student came to ask me if I could switch off the virtual aquarium (a screen showing tropical fish) because fish "triggered" her. I told her not to be such an idiot no, as the majority of people enjoyed the atmosphere it brought.

YANBU.

@234Pepperplant

I just wish people would give a clear title to their posts in the first place and then it wouldn’t be needed. “AIBU-Trigger warning” is spectacularly unhelpful. “AIBU about this spider (pictured)/child sexual abuse issue/eating disorder/graphic horror movie scene” would be an awful lot better.

Fundamentally though I don’t believe you have the right never to come across anything you might find offensive, triggering or difficult, especially in the context of an optional internet chat board.

I apologise I thought it would be clear that my AIBU was about trigger warnings.

“I apologise I thought it would be clear that my AIBU was about trigger warnings.”

Oh I got that. You don’t need to apologise and I have no problem with your title! My point was just I think if everyone gave a decent descriptive title to their posts the need for trigger warnings would be much reduced - eg if I titled something “AIBU about this massive spider I’ve pictured” that would be much more informative/helpful to people who apparently can’t deal with spiders than just “AIBU” or “Sensitive subject - TW” which I so often see on here.

@234Pepperplant

“I apologise I thought it would be clear that my AIBU was about trigger warnings.”

Oh I got that. You don’t need to apologise and I have no problem with your title! My point was just I think if everyone gave a decent descriptive title to their posts the need for trigger warnings would be much reduced - eg if I titled something “AIBU about this massive spider I’ve pictured” that would be much more informative/helpful to people who apparently can’t deal with spiders than just “AIBU” or “Sensitive subject - TW” which I so often see on here.

Oh I misunderstood and yes I agree.

YANBU It drives me insane. I'm on one group where virtually every post has a bloody trigger warning. Ridiculous. I do wonder how these people that need trigger warnings on virtually every mention of very normal daily things, manage to go about their day.

Bear in mind I have a serious anxiety disorder and I am "triggered" often. However I don't think that others are responsible for not triggering me over everyday things.

I think what annoys me the most is that it's actually really counterproductive to avoid triggers when you have an anxiety disorder. It's "avoidance" which is a safety behaviour. So what we are doing by pandering to the ever increasing list of potential triggers is actually worsening people's mental health.

@therocinante

I can't see the harm, personally. It takes 2 seconds out of my day to potentially not upset someone - I can understand if you're triggered by something specific like bugs you shouldn't be watching a documentary about ants i.e. you are responsible for avoiding triggers where you can, but the Internet is a big and varied place and you can't always know what you're going to stumble across or what will be put into your feeds. Rather than add to an environment which stops people with genuinely crippling fears using social media, I try and tag things if I can.

Well then why didn’t you post a trigger warning before mentioning ants and bugs in your post?

I seen one (not on MN)

I Think My Gun is Faulty (Trigger Warning)

When Romeo and Juliet at the Globe is prefaced by many and varied trigger warnings I think we are all pretty much doomed.

@JayAlfredPrufrock

When Romeo and Juliet at the Globe is prefaced by many and varied trigger warnings I think we are all pretty much doomed.

Oh no it wasn't was it?

YANBU. I was recently in a parenting group for new babies where breastfeeding posts had to be trigger earned

@234Pepperplant

I just wish people would give a clear title to their posts in the first place and then it wouldn’t be needed. “AIBU-Trigger warning” is spectacularly unhelpful. “AIBU about this spider (pictured)/child sexual abuse issue/eating disorder/graphic horror movie scene” would be an awful lot better.

Fundamentally though I don’t believe you have the right never to come across anything you might find offensive, triggering or difficult, especially in the context of an optional internet chat board.

But if it has the word in the title then surely a person would be triggered with or without a trigger warning and whether or not they look at the whole post, rendering it a bit pointless. And I do agree that they're over used.

Well I'm fairly pleased to see others agree and I'm not just a heartless cow

@therocinante

I can't see the harm, personally. It takes 2 seconds out of my day to potentially not upset someone - I can understand if you're triggered by something specific like bugs you shouldn't be watching a documentary about ants i.e. you are responsible for avoiding triggers where you can, but the Internet is a big and varied place and you can't always know what you're going to stumble across or what will be put into your feeds. Rather than add to an environment which stops people with genuinely crippling fears using social media, I try and tag things if I can.

But anybody can be upset by literally anything, so are you going to tag every single thing with a "trigger warning"?

@JayAlfredPrufrock

When Romeo and Juliet at the Globe is prefaced by many and varied trigger warnings I think we are all pretty much doomed.

Yup, saw this. The plot is upsetting. Thats the whole bloody POINT.