By Vikash Gill (Contributor) – Email
Outrage culture has manifested in a way that has caused controversy and reactionary backlash at university campuses around the continent: trigger warnings. Trigger warnings, also known as content warnings, are designed to help those who have had traumatic experiences, in addition to people who are not neurotypical, cope with potentially distressing material. Specific triggers can be unique to the individual, but some triggers are commonplace, like intense bigotry or realistic depictions of violent acts.
Trigger warnings are important because people need to be aware of the personal boundaries of others in their environment and be sensitive to the triggers of the people they’re addressing. A person’s triggers can also cause them to remember horrific memories, and may also make them experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Content which is triggering can also negatively impact one’s health in a variety of other ways, from causing stress to causing one to fall back into self-destructive habits.
It should be plainly said that trigger warnings are just warnings. They don’t take anything away. They don’t remove anyone’s freedom of speech. Trigger warnings aren’t censorship. They are just a way to signify that the content after the warning may be disturbing. A less controversial but comparable type of warning would be a spoiler warning. Spoiler warnings are put in place so the person doesn’t unexpectedly read certain information they don’t want to see.
There is a great deal of hypocrisy from the people who oppose trigger warnings. Media like films and video games are constantly rated for their content before they are released. For example, the Entertainment Software Rating Board can rate video games “M for Mature” if they contain sexual content and gore. A film can be rated “18A” if it contains explicit sexual content and intense violence. Why are the people who strongly oppose trigger warnings perfectly fine when various forms of media already have warnings about potentially triggering content? The ratings systems in place also already reflect the common subject matter of trigger warnings.
Trigger warnings are great. One shouldn’t be a jerk by infringing on the boundaries of others’ experiences. Reactionaries and the right-wing constantly mock trigger warnings, but if a person were to inform you of their triggers, it is important to respect them. To do otherwise is insensitive and shows a lack of empathy in the situation. Words aren’t just words. Words aren’t meaningless. Everything you say has an effect on others. Respect other people as well as their traumatic experiences. If you are outraged at outrage culture, you are part of the problem.
