Someone is going to have to come in here with an unpopular opinion for the sake of bravery and argument. Since for the most part everyone seems to be saying the same thing with different and pleasantly detailed viewpoints. "Trigger warnings are good. But sometimes people use them stupidly and that isn't okay." Seems to be the general consensus.
And I respect this decision, I really do and I was generally intrigued by everyone's take on this. But otherwise, I'm afraid I disagree. So call me insensitive if you want but I'm going to give you my blunt opinion on this one as I'm rather callous on the subject.
Trigger warnings are excessively pointless things on the internet.
Sure, in the movie industry they're important, because movies are a worldwide and accepted media that almost everyone out there with access to any form of media will interact with once or twice. The same can be said with television and the like. But unfortunately this place we find ourselves in, the social internet sphere, especially in the less focused on areas, is in no way the same as that. On the internet, it's such a small scale in comparison. So insignificant when compared to the larger intellectual medium of the World itself. Places like image boards in particular are what I refer to here... or really anywhere where a random image will be posted on the internet.
In the end the majority of people whom post the images won't have any of those triggers that people talk about... and in the end how many people are going to see the image anyway?
They won't put trigger warnings... because subconsciously to these common everyday people, those individuals that require said warnings are completely irrelevant. Not because the poster is cruel or malicious, but because the odds are that said person whom posted the content is in no way affiliated with the trigger in question, that considered why would they think about it when posting their images, videos or media? Why should they think about it?
Movie and other massive media industries HAVE to think about said things because of the size of their user population, their monetary reliance on their work being appreciated and the massive backlash of them upsetting an entire medium of people without warning. They're not putting those warnings there because they care about you, they're putting them there because they'd get in trouble if they didn't. It's that risk of trouble that MAKES unrelated people REMEMBER these triggers at all.
On the internet? There's no trouble or backlash in the long run... and even when there is it won't be major. It's not that they're not putting the triggers there on purpose, it's that they have no real reason to even think about everyone else's triggers unless they or someone they know is related to such a trigger, without reason to remember the triggers they won't remember the triggers. People who post trigger warnings anyway will do it because they don't want people getting upset... but again the large majority of people will not care. At all.
To be honest, I don't blame them.
The internet is a wonderful place full of wonderful people and experiences. But if you're afraid that something you find offensive will show up and trigger you...? Well then you'd best avoid the internet entirely because you are DEFINITELY going to run into it eventually. This is the most varied and differential place we as a race know, this is a wonderful thing.
However it is also exactly why the minority with trigger warnings will never be taken into consideration by everybody... or in fact by a majority of people on the internet as a whole.
tl;dr
To finalize, the internet is full of crap that will trigger people regardless because nobody cares about the minority ad their triggers and in reality you can't blame them for not doing so because it's a subconscious thing a lot of the time.
You putting a trigger warning on something you post is pointless since the next person down the line probably won't. If people with triggers do not want to be triggered then they should stay in friendlier places like this site here, or just stop going on the internet in general because they WILL get triggered eventually if they don't.
Sorry if this seems harsh but it's true, if you get mad because something someone else made triggers you then you really need to take a break from the online world because nine times out of ten the person responsible isn't going to give a ****.
I mean look at 4chan. I love it there but it's an evil place... and it's not the only place of its kind either.
Oh and on the note of tumblr? It was indeed a good time when they were raided. That place is full of stupidity and drivel anyway. Best just keep away.
And I respect this decision, I really do and I was generally intrigued by everyone's take on this. But otherwise, I'm afraid I disagree. So call me insensitive if you want but I'm going to give you my blunt opinion on this one as I'm rather callous on the subject.
Trigger warnings are excessively pointless things on the internet.
Sure, in the movie industry they're important, because movies are a worldwide and accepted media that almost everyone out there with access to any form of media will interact with once or twice. The same can be said with television and the like. But unfortunately this place we find ourselves in, the social internet sphere, especially in the less focused on areas, is in no way the same as that. On the internet, it's such a small scale in comparison. So insignificant when compared to the larger intellectual medium of the World itself. Places like image boards in particular are what I refer to here... or really anywhere where a random image will be posted on the internet.
In the end the majority of people whom post the images won't have any of those triggers that people talk about... and in the end how many people are going to see the image anyway?
They won't put trigger warnings... because subconsciously to these common everyday people, those individuals that require said warnings are completely irrelevant. Not because the poster is cruel or malicious, but because the odds are that said person whom posted the content is in no way affiliated with the trigger in question, that considered why would they think about it when posting their images, videos or media? Why should they think about it?
Movie and other massive media industries HAVE to think about said things because of the size of their user population, their monetary reliance on their work being appreciated and the massive backlash of them upsetting an entire medium of people without warning. They're not putting those warnings there because they care about you, they're putting them there because they'd get in trouble if they didn't. It's that risk of trouble that MAKES unrelated people REMEMBER these triggers at all.
On the internet? There's no trouble or backlash in the long run... and even when there is it won't be major. It's not that they're not putting the triggers there on purpose, it's that they have no real reason to even think about everyone else's triggers unless they or someone they know is related to such a trigger, without reason to remember the triggers they won't remember the triggers. People who post trigger warnings anyway will do it because they don't want people getting upset... but again the large majority of people will not care. At all.
To be honest, I don't blame them.
The internet is a wonderful place full of wonderful people and experiences. But if you're afraid that something you find offensive will show up and trigger you...? Well then you'd best avoid the internet entirely because you are DEFINITELY going to run into it eventually. This is the most varied and differential place we as a race know, this is a wonderful thing.
However it is also exactly why the minority with trigger warnings will never be taken into consideration by everybody... or in fact by a majority of people on the internet as a whole.
tl;dr
To finalize, the internet is full of crap that will trigger people regardless because nobody cares about the minority ad their triggers and in reality you can't blame them for not doing so because it's a subconscious thing a lot of the time.
You putting a trigger warning on something you post is pointless since the next person down the line probably won't. If people with triggers do not want to be triggered then they should stay in friendlier places like this site here, or just stop going on the internet in general because they WILL get triggered eventually if they don't.
Sorry if this seems harsh but it's true, if you get mad because something someone else made triggers you then you really need to take a break from the online world because nine times out of ten the person responsible isn't going to give a ****.
I mean look at 4chan. I love it there but it's an evil place... and it's not the only place of its kind either.
Oh and on the note of tumblr? It was indeed a good time when they were raided. That place is full of stupidity and drivel anyway. Best just keep away.