🗂️ [[Thinking in Public]]
# Trigger Warnings
📰 **Brief statements that alert readers, viewers, or listeners that the content they are about to engage with may contain material that could be disturbing or upsetting, particularly for people who have experienced trauma.**
🕵🏻♂️ *content warnings*
✍🏻 [[Jeremy Neideck]]
![[trigger warnings.svg]]
## 📢 My Opinion
I have done a lot of reading and listening (not all of which is reflected here), and I am still not sure what to do with it all just yet.
**Updated**: [[2024-05-06]]
## 📖 Overview
Trigger warnings are brief statements that alert readers, viewers, or listeners that the content they are about to engage with may contain material that could be disturbing or upsetting, particularly for people who have experienced trauma. [^1] [^2] [^3] [^4]
The purpose of trigger warnings is to allow people, especially those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other mental health conditions, to make an informed decision about whether they want to proceed with the content.[^1] [^2] [^3] [^4] Trigger warnings arose from the psychological concept of "triggers" - experiences or events that can cause a trauma survivor to re-experience an incident or go into avoidance mode.[^4]
While there is debate around the effectiveness of trigger warnings, the general intent is to create a more inclusive environment by giving people the opportunity to avoid content that could be psychologically harmful to them.[^5] Trigger warnings are meant to be a tool for open communication and empathy, not a form of censorship.[^5]
The following are the main points from [[Search Engine - What Do Trigger Warnings Actually Do]]:
1. Trigger warnings can serve as signposts for sensitive content but may induce anxiety in some individuals by highlighting uncertainty about emotional reactions.
2. Informed consent models in medicine laid the foundation for trigger warnings, which later gained popularity in educational and online settings.
3. Studies indicate that trigger warnings may not significantly impact emotional responses or preparedness when engaging with triggering content.
4. While trigger warnings may not prevent the disturbing impact of content on trauma survivors, they can still provide informed consent for individuals to choose what content to engage with.
5. Trauma triggers are unique and idiosyncratic to each individual, making it challenging for trigger warnings to accurately predict and prevent discomfort.
6. People may actively seek out triggering content, contradicting the belief that individuals avoid unpleasant experiences, highlighting the complex nature of human behaviour.
7. The debate on trigger warnings involves the need to acknowledge and respect the emotional harm caused by triggers, especially in vulnerable populations like youth.
## ⚒️ Resources
- [[Search Engine - What Do Trigger Warnings Actually Do]]
- [[Amna Khalid - The Futility of Trigger Warnings]]
- [[Jill Filipovic - I Was Wrong About Trigger Warnings]]
## ⛲ Sources
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### Footnotes%%
[^1]: Guide To Content & Trigger Warnings | TW Meaning - The Mix [https://www.themix.org.uk/mental-health/looking-after-yourself/a-guide-to-content-and-trigger-warnings-37946.html](https://www.themix.org.uk/mental-health/looking-after-yourself/a-guide-to-content-and-trigger-warnings-37946.html)
[^2]: Cautionary Notes: The Science of Trigger Warnings [https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/utc-2023-oct-trigger-warnings.html](https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/utc-2023-oct-trigger-warnings.html)
[^3]: Trigger and Content Warning Guidance - UConn Office of the Provost [https://provost.uconn.edu/trigger-warning/](https://provost.uconn.edu/trigger-warning/)[↩︎](https://publish.obsidian.md/#fnref-3-55d0b3fb5bc7278e)
[^4]: Trigger warning Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trigger%20warning](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trigger%20warning)[↩︎](https://publish.obsidian.md/#fnref-4-55d0b3fb5bc7278e)
[^5]: The Trigger Warning Myth | The New Republic [https://newrepublic.com/article/122543/trigger-warning-myth](https://newrepublic.com/article/122543/trigger-warning-myth)[↩︎](https://publish.obsidian.md/#fnref-5-55d0b3fb5bc7278e)
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## 📝 Notes
## ⛵️ Log
- 🖋️
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#
**Template**: [[Atomic Note Template]]
**Created**: [[2024-04-14|Sunday 14 April 2024]]
**Published**: [[2024-05-05|Sunday 05 May 2024]]
**Updated**: 11:50 [[2024-05-21|Tuesday 21 May 2024]]
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