perspectives Text by NAOMI BONEH
v
Art by SAMANTHA HO
TRIGGER W RNINGS SELF-REGULATION ON MEDIA OFFERS SUPPORT
S
CROLLING THROUGH TikTok, I watch a woman running in comical slow-motion across her room, a lighthearted song playing in the background. Her text captions, however, tell a much darker story — one where she endures domestic abuse and struggles to escape from it. As much as her story deserves to be told, I remember feeling rattled from watching her video without a chance to prepare myself mentally. Like many commenters on the post, I wished a trigger warning could have been added to the story. Although present in different forms for some time, “trigger warnings” — a tag that mentions topics discussed in a post that could trigger a traumatic response — have thankfully become more prevalent on social media in the past year. On platforms including Twitter, Instagram and TikTok, users who speak about sensitive topics often start their text with “TW: blood/gore,” “TW: sexual assault,” “TW: eating disorders” and more. Trigger warnings give users a choice of what they want to see, rather than have content thrust at them online. People can confront their anxiety or trauma if they wish to, and having users add trigger warnings gives other viewers the control of when and where this happens online. Additionally, the warnings allow social media users to discuss darker issues, from personal struggles to world news, without sugarcoating anything. In adding “TW” in front of jarring body text and images, users have been able to present a much more detailed account of anti-Asian American crimes across the country, sexual assault cases and more grim events.
WARNI
NG: GR
PRO
CEE
APHIC
DW
ITH
CONTEN
T. ENTE R
The intensity of these reports bring trigger warnings improperly will continue awareness to the reality we really live in, to be discouraged to maintain their conand the increase in the number of users structive impact. they can reach move more people to take I’m grateful to see trigger warnings action against these issues. Without the use become commonplace, yet listening to my of trigger warnings, this content would ei- friends talk about the curriculum of some ther not be as widespread — due to peo- of their classes, I feel that trigger warnple’s discomfort ings should be in sharing it — or standardized and would be melimplemented in Without the use of triglowed down to school as well. I inaccurately deremember a friend ger warnings, content scribe atrocities. taking AP Psywould either not be as Beyond prochology telling me viding spaces to that survivors of widespread or would be discuss pressing sexual assault or mellowed to inaccurately issues, trigger child abuse would describe atrocities. warnings contriblikely be triggered ute to changing by the material in the perception their textbooks. around mental health as a whole. Because In my own experiences in classes, partrigger warnings address anyone who sees ticularly in social science subjects, I have them, they serve as a form of acknowledge- sometimes skipped over homework readment that people have different experienc- ings or purposely zoned out of class to es, and a respect for their boundaries. avoid listening to a topic I felt uncomfortAlthough there are many strengths able with at the time. While there are many of trigger warnings, one concern I have is teachers who do inform their class when a the increasing usage of people using trigger difficult topic will be discussed, I wish there warnings ironically on the Internet, apply- were more standard practices — such as ing them as a form of humor. The word adding trigger warnings at the beginning of “trigger” has already been stripped down to lectures and handouts, and welcoming conbecome a colloquial term, which can cause versations about mental health concerns some to downplay their mental health — that would enable all students to avoid struggles, and others feel the word is no feeling vulnerable while learning. longer as fitting to use in a medical setting. “Hopefully people know that they can “I think that it is important to recog- reach out for support if they find something nize that as much as the word ‘trigger’ is that’s negatively impacting their quality of used in a way that’s different from the origi- life, because they can work through their nal intent, triggers are still valid for people,” triggers, and they can heal,” Aquino said. “I Paly Wellness Outreach Worker Whitney want people to both take this seriously and Aquino said. Likewise, I hope that adding know that there’s hope.” v
AT YOU
D ROCEE P . K S I WN R OUR O Y T A R
R CAU ING: G N R A TI N. W CAUOTNI.OW H T I W ED AR PROCE N
R OWN T. ENTE EN ISK. PR CONTR OCEED APHIC
WITH C
RN
N. WA
AUTIO WITH C
I AUTION PROCEED W . K IS . WARN R N W O YOUIRNG : GRAP T. ENTER AT N E T N HIC CON O C IC H P A R G TENT RNING:
