Trigger warnings

General Off-Topic Discussion
21

Almost everything I could say here has already been covered very well by mulehollandaise, but I’ll add two more things.

  1. If the words “trigger warning” annoy you, perhaps think of it as a “content warning” instead. There’s a trigger warning on Ollie Ollie Oxen Free, and no one ever complained about it in the reviews.

  2. If you don’t see the point of content warnings - I’d ask you to try this brief exercise in empathy.

(If you already see the point, feel free to skip the section beneath the spoiler tag, which discusses rape.)

[spoiler]Think of the person closest to you in your life. (Spouse, best friend, sibling, spouse, parent, grandparent - whoever that person is. Male or female, doesn’t matter.) Someone who’s been sincerely supportive and kind and uplifting and made your life better. Someone you love.

Now imagine they’ve been raped.

Maybe they report it to the police, and go through the pain and shame of being disbelieved and recapping it repeatedly and having to go to court and being judged in the public eye. Maybe they don’t, and they suffer in silence, confessing it to only a few people (which, in this scenario, includes you.) It doesn’t matter which - what matters is that you know.

Common effects of sexual assault include PTSD, flashbacks, nightmares, depression, and self-harm. Your loved one may be experiencing some or all of these side effects. For the sake of this discussion, let’s assume they are.

So you’re getting panicky phone calls at 3 AM, maybe taking them on emergency trips to the doctor, maybe having to remove them from public places because they have panic attacks or flashbacks. It’s a nightmare for you and a much worse nightmare for them, and it’s a recovery process that may take weeks… or months… or years.

But - eventually, things start getting better. The 3 AM phone calls stop. The panic attacks are less frequent. If there’s a court case, maybe it gets resolved.

Your loved one’s birthday rolls around. You treat them to a movie to celebrate.

Thirty minutes into the movie, there’s a scene depicting a rape. Your loved one is right there with you, but they’re also back weeks/months/years ago, trying to get someone to stop who won’t stop. Maybe there are tears, maybe there’s a panic attack, or maybe there’s just the coldness as all their enjoyment drains away into horror and misery.

In any case, you know those layers of recovery are peeling away like paper crisping in a flame. This movie has done active harm to your loved one. And you took them there.

In the scenario above, you don’t know that there’s a rape in the movie. It’s not your fault that you traumatized your loved one.

But (as you may recall) this was all an analogy for the need to put trigger warnings on your work.

Which means that (if you play the analogy out) you knew that the film contained a rape scene… and you took your loved one there anyway.

Of course you wouldn’t knowingly take your traumatized loved one to see a film with rape in it.

No one with a functioning moral sense would do that. It would be inconceivably horrible, and I believe that we’re all good people here instead of monsters.

But.

And it is an important but.

1 out of every 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape.
1 out of every 33 American men has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape.
(Source: RAINN)

In short: if 100 Americans play your game, split 25 women and 75 men (because IF players are skewed), then the odds are good that 6 rape victims played your game.

Is it really worth the risk of traumatizing those 6 people, for the sake of the “undamaged play experience” for the other 94?

I say no.

(And if you’re still under the impression that sexual assault only happens to “other people”, and there are no sexual assault victims on this forum… you’re wrong. I know that with 100% certainty.)

If you wouldn’t subject your traumatized loved one to a film containing rape without warning…
…why would you subject ANY similarly traumatized person to a film containing rape without warning?

That’s what trigger warnings are for. They are the equivalent of turning to your loved one and saying, "I need to let you know - there’s a rape scene in this movie. Do you still want to go?’

Or alternately (the approach taken by most print media, such as Stephen King’s books): ‘Hey, this book contains seriously disturbing and horrific content. Not gonna tell you what kind, but it’s really disturbing. Just so you know that in advance.’

…or, in the case of this post: “Hey, rape is discussed beneath this spoiler tag. You might want to skip it.”

That’s all.[/spoiler]

22

I also think about triggers (and putting a trigger warning on a game) on two levels. There are things you know are likely to be a trigger: rape, violence, etc. And then there are the things that you will be a trigger for a certain community but may not be a common trigger to the general population. I think in the first case, you put the trigger warning on the game. In the second case, the community itself passes along the trigger warning as they discuss the game.

For instance, when I tell someone about a book or movie or game, I think about the person I am speaking to and pass along a heads up before they read the book, watch the movie, or play the game. It’s a sign that I care about another person.

And I think that’s what a trigger warning is about: it’s telling the player that you care about them and their experience with your game. Do you have to put a trigger warning on a game? No. But does putting a trigger warning on a game send a message to the player and strengthen the creator/player relationship? Yes. I’m not talking about Care Bears and hugs and a big Kumbaya-circle. I’m talking about a modicum of respect between the creator and the player. It’s recognizing that creators need players to play their games, and that players need creators to create those games. And trigger warnings, to me, are a nod towards each side, making a very human connection between two computers.

23

I would never complain about a trigger warning in a review. That’s kinda just rude. But I do come across trigger warnings every now and again that rankle me, where I end up thinking to myself that this is cheapening actual triggers and actual trauma, with people lumping everything together that might be slightly off-putting and calling it a “trigger.” It would be like someone who’s feeling sad claiming to be clinically depressed.

So yeah, that is why I prefer “content warnings.” Those cover all bases, including triggers, no matter if you’ve had traumatic experiences or just aren’t in the mood to play a game with guns in it today.

24

…I wish our forums had a “like” button. This entire post was really well put.

25

Do I need to do violence to complete the game? More importantly, how is violence depicted/handled in the game? Those three are hardly equivalent (putting it in a spoiler tag because, well, the example does contain graphic violence to make a point; sorry about that):

Yes, in a vague airy sense the player “chooses” to view certain content in an interactive work, but that doesn’t mean they are fully aware of what they are choosing. On a certain level, I feel like “don’t do things in-game if you don’t want to see them” is a cop-out, because any action in a parser game can have a myriad responses from the game.

Also, re: The Baron, I was fully aware of what it was about from the outset and I don’t think my experience of it was lessened for it, so.

26

Seconded. (Thirded?)

I’d like to point out that a triggered response doesn’t have to be a full-scale traumatic flashback to be harmful; there’s a difference between “being uncomfortable” and “having your day ruined because your mind can’t let go of something that upsets you”, or “falling back into self-harming behaviors you were getting over because something put you back in that mental space”. You may not see the difference, but it is there.

And yes, the best way to overcome these things is to confront them – in a controlled fashion. Not to have them sprung on you. People may actually choose to play your game if they know it has content that could trigger them, as a way of consciously confronting their fear when they are emotionally prepared to do so. Warning them about that content is the reverse of coddling; it’s enabling them to make an intelligent choice about when and how to engage with your work.

27

A practical question: Would “humorous depiction of mental illness” be a trigger? (Game uses phobias as a game mechanic and contains an asylum scene on the order of Psychonauts)

28

Ugh, I’ve typed so much it will probably go under-read. But it’s done.

Back at mule’s post - you have pointed out a lot of good and empathic things, especially if we’re talking about games only. I opened the topic about trigger warnings in general. If we’re talking only about games, probably non-commercial games of the kind mostly made around here are actually the ones where content warnings are most needed, because we are not obliged to put them in, so it is important to be thinking about that. I put content warnings on my games as appropriate.

So, I have first-hand experience of trauma / triggers. I have been in longterm psychiatric care in clinics, and with individuals, and I also work for a medical journal. I have been through CBT over years, so I know what you are talking about with the graded exposure, the spiders, etc. I believe research carries more weight than anecdotes in a medical-psychological contexts.

Many actions that have seemed beneficial to someone with a problem, or kind on the part of someone who knows someone with a problem, have over time been proved to be of no value or counterproductive. This seems counterintuitive, but we can only see that if we keep checking real actions and outcomes in the longterm with the best science humanity has spent years developing. And those processes aren’t flawless. They’re still better than anything else we have to measure these things. With regard to the definition article that I mentioned at the head of this topic, that is why I don’t think anyone should unquestioningly accept its premises or advice. It is speculative, unsourced and unscientific, though prescribing on the topic of mental health.

I’ve already been through the treatment, so I don’t believe in saying ‘You’ll be fine,’ at all. I think I or a typical psychiatrist would say you are going to take inevitable hits now and then, and face inevitable setbacks. The first hit will be tough. You will need to think about how it felt, afterwards, and why it felt that way, and be helped with it. Then you will be starting to be ready for the next hit. Months/years later, you will have developed the skills and understanding to manage the hits. Then a time is likely to come when your brain has so plasticly altered that the hits are no longer perceived as hits, or are processed automatically. The endpoint is: Encountering a subject that reminds you of a bad thing or trauma cannot harm you, unlike a peanut allergy. You’ll note this statement is also true before a person has done any work to reach a belief in it, and at the start they will have no belief in it.

Speaking as me again: The world is not going to shield people from all possible hits because the world is uncontrollable. People will say these things or mention them. They also need to be able to. In the end, you will have to change yourself if you are going to heal, because you have no choice. I speak practically, not in an ultimatium or threat kind of way. If someone thinks mental health problem sufferers have other viable choices for their health, they can explain them here. We still seek to be kind and sensitive to people in acute suffering, but it’s important sufferers are kept from losing sight of the directions it’s necessary to head in. It’s easy to lose sight while eliciting much-needed sympathy. I know I have over-retreated and then sat static for too long, lots of times. That’s not terrible. They were some of the setbacks.

I think the point about identity is where you ultimately choose to focus it. If you place your primary focus on things that happened to you rather than actions you’ve taken (and not just actions you’ve taken in response to the things that happened to you) you will remain in trouble. I’m not talking about acknowledging ‘It was really bad.’ I’m talking about someone choosing to harp on ‘it was really bad’ and reacting to the world with that either as a chip on the shoulder or a badge they expect others to heed.

For me, acknowledging the idea I just described has been ******* annoying, one of the most annoying things I’ve ever tried to consider philosophically. I mean in that paradoxical way, who wants to not focus on longterm suffering that lasted for ages that they think has shaped them? I would rather believe it has made me special, or more understanding, or a better artist, or that my pain is unique, etc. And actually I do believe those things sometimes, and it’s not that they’re necessarily untrue (well, except that I’m not really more or less special than others.) I do think my experience was really bad. What matters to me is that I try to not let those things control everything. I take much better actions if I’m acting selflessly, trying not to harp on my anxieties or seeing myself as just a product of them or blaming others for trespassing on them. I am speaking from far down the road.

I think Cressida got the balance right when she pointed out there’s things society has agreed are universally troubling, others that are more specific. Society can warn about the former (again, the ratings board example) and individuals or smaller groups should take care of the latter for each other.

I agree with CMG that I basically see the push to trigger label so frequently or comprehensively can be cheapening and overprotective.

Carolyn, I don’t like the film example because you didn’t say anything about checking the rating information on the film, which exists to help stop your example happening. I don’t know if you were making the example as if there was not a ratings system? If so, ignore this paragraph. If there is violent sexual content, a depiction of rape, the rating information will say something like ‘strong sexual content’. If you see that mentioned and don’t know what it is, you would definitely investigate it before taking a rape victim. We obviously agree that you wouldn’t take a recent rape survivor to a film with a rape scene.

I don’t think I would ever use the words ‘trigger warning’ because as has been pointed out, the words themselves sensitise people. I think broad content warnings are better at not doing that.

I lost track of who said adding trigger warnings is no different to making games more accessible, but that’s not right. I mean, these aren’t even the same stage of action. Accessibility is dealing with immutable facts like someone’s lack of vision. Trigger warnings are about keeping someone away from words or subject matter or depictions of things something you think they might react to based on circumstances particular to them.

So in summary, my position is that I don’t think society has the obligation to label things that might offend or disturb people based on personal circumstances significantly beyond what it already does, or in ways that treat art as artifact and not artifice, ways that promote sensitisation and avoidance and ways that are not currently scientifically endorsed for mental health.

I’m unlikely to complain about any warnings someone puts on their game (I might privately think some are silly or annoying) unless we reach a point where phalanxes of warnings about particular things are starting to drown us.

-Wade

29

Great post. Two thumbs up.

30

Are you asking would the trigger warning ‘Humorous depiction of mental illness’ be a trigger itself? If that’s the question, my own answer is no :stuck_out_tongue:

If phobias are a game mechanic and the setting as you describe, and the genre has comic elements, aren’t these things or something something approaching them likely to be in the blurb? I don’t think your subject matter is universally-trigger-warning-worthy. I think what you might face is whether people think you’ve made funny comedy or tasteless/offensive/lame/whatever comedy out of the subject matter. That would be very eye-of-the-beholdery and people will tell you in response to the game, if it comes up at all.

-Wade

31

Thanks!

32

Thanks, Wade, for sharing all that; and thanks to all the others as well for your contributions.
(I don’t have much to add to this thread I’m afraid, but I’m glad everyone could have a civil conversation about this. Thanks!)

33

I didn’t reference ratings in the film example because it was intended to be an analogy, rather than an example.

But by calling out the existence and importance of film content ratings, I think you’ve made my point exactly.

34

A related hypothetical question: Assuming a game has content that’s generally considered acceptable but known to be found offensive by some people (e.g. fat jokes, portraying Middle Easterners as terrorists) would it help to mention it in the game’s description so that people could avoid playing if they want, or would it just be aggravating (“author is knowingly offensive”)?

35

I think that starts to fall under the cathegory of taste - the author’s AND the players. I think, in fact, that that would be the equivalent of something I’ve actually seen in peanuts packages, which went:

PEANUTS
1kg
Ingredients: peanuts.
WARNING! May contain peanuts.

You can’t account for anyone’s taste, so in those case I’d find it pretty aggravating, as a player, to see every game with content that might be considered offensive to someone bearing warning signs.

36

Hopefully a blurb should tease out some of that as was eloquently stated before.

“A rollicking comedy about an unlikely friendship between an obese Christian redneck and a Muslim who decide to collaborate and blow up a donut factory in retaliation for giving them diabetes…”

“Contains explicit language and sexual content, and interactive simulation of peanuts.”

Hope nobody else is doing that for IFComp…

37

I’m not sure either of those are really acceptable, frankly; but it seems like someone who unironically writes something full of racism against Arabs or fat-hate probably doesn’t particularly care about offending or hurting people in the first place.

38

From fat-jokes to fat-hate? From portraying Middle Easterners as terrorists to racism?

39

Another side of content warnings not yet discussed here is that some people want to avoid exposing themselves to content that transgresses their social, moral, or religious values – or that just feels too uncomfortably inappropriate without being associated with any experience of trauma. If you grew up in a fairly conservative or religious home, you’ll know what I mean. One site I frequent even recently suggested that the whole trigger warning phenomenon originated in morality ratings of entertainment by conservative Christian organizations.

Of course, morality content ratings have the same dynamic of also being for other people. You might want to play the game that prominently features homosexual relationships, but you might not want to show it to your mother – partly because she might not understand the complexity behind possible motivations for playing and contemplating such a game, but also partly because it might make her genuinely unhappy.

Again, there’s a similar dynamic of “suck it up, this is out there in the world, you need to face reality, you’d be a better person if you looked at this.” But then, we’re all probably pretty good at ignoring the things we don’t like in the world, just so we can all get by with acceptable apathy. I think it’s true that we need to face reality, but we have no specific obligation to do it through any specific piece of media that might bother us.

40

This comes down to a matter of where the burden falls.

I think that it’s completely reasonable to expect authors to account for things which constitute common trauma triggers. That’s harm, plain and simple.

I absolutely don’t think that it’s reasonable to expect authors or publishers to account for, and warn about, any content that might bother someone somehow. The burden for issuing warnings there should fall on the reader, or on third parties acting on their behalf. (Of course, if your intended audience has particular concerns, it’s sensible to listen to and address those. But it ain’t my job, as an author, to worry about Parent Who Doesn’t Want Their Kids To Know About Homosexuality.)

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