On CWs, TWs, PSAs and "safe spaces"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSGZrpN7ahQ

I believe that this video is one of the best of explaining this topic, and with real world views. It is definitely worth a watch

(2021-02-27 23:34)BearX Wrote:  They trade a short-term avoidance of something which causes anxiety for long-term harm, and I cannot be part of that. It's enabling harm, because although it seems to help initially, it really just causes worse outcomes in the long-term. The studies and articles above are from the last 2 years, now that we are seeing what the outcomes are.

There are things that cause me anxiety, but I know it is bad for my mental health, long-term, to avoid them. The world isn't going to shield you from your fears -- it'll just punch you with them. If you don't face them and develop coping strategies, you'll be unprepared for that punch when it happens.

Nailed it!

Couldn't have put it much better.
Even cold and analytical, just how I like it!

I had to +1 this. That is all.

This is the exact thing that's been bothering me actually. How am I supposed to talk about my experiences if I am not allowed to say the words "hunting", "meat", and many more? I too believe it's ridiculous. I've seen people getting banned on said "safe spaces" for extremely minor things. And it's always the people with a thousand 'types and genders running them... It began feeling like I'm there to be a therapist and not a fellow member.

I agree, but if anything, one should do TW as softly as possible at first before slowly increasing in intensity. That way the person could get used to it and hence no longer feel like it's "offending" them. But yeah, that's what I am thinking, I am most likely wrong though.

I think TW, etc. are appropriate especially for trauma communities where certain content commonly triggers painful and debilitating flashbacks/ uncontrolled reactions. But it seems to me the young general public are acting as if they are traumatized (they probably are), and this pathological behavior (ie getting triggered) is being normalized and even conditioned. I live in a chronic state of discomfort in society, which is probably normal for therians, and we learn to deal with it as we mature.

I don't like the new trend and it's a very personal thing to me. The idea of "safe spaces" makes me feel unsafe, and I think it's related to personal issues I have with people denying reality and rejecting information that makes them feel uncomfortable.

(2021-03-01 5:17)Tdae Wrote:  I think TW, etc. are appropriate especially for trauma communities where certain content commonly triggers painful and debilitating flashbacks/ uncontrolled reactions. But it seems to me the young general public are acting as if they are traumatized (they probably are), and this pathological behavior (ie getting triggered) is being normalized and even conditioned. I live in a chronic state of discomfort in society, which is probably normal for therians, and we learn to deal with it as we mature.

I agree with you here Tdae, there is a place for such things and that is specifically in a therapeutic setting under the supervision of professionals. Trying force those conditions on people in the real world is absolutely absurd. The world and most especially the internet are not therapeutic communities and having individuals try to impose those normative guidelines to these things is at very least an absurdly unrealistic expectation.

I am personally against the whole thing for the most part, as I've seen some pretty outrageous things (for example, in a discord server that I was in, we weren't allowed to say the word December or even mention it because one of the members had a bad experience in that month, I suppose?)

I often feel like I'm walking on eggshells in certain therian sub-communities because so many people have such diverse trigger lists for the most ridiculous things. And if you even dare to mention the fact that being triggered by the word "cabbage" for example (yes, I've seen that) is improbable, you are labeled as ableist, a gatekeeper, and other choice words. It keeps happening to me and I'm getting tired of it. Society is not going to conform to your tastes and distastes and whether you like it or not you are going to have to learn to integrate with society in order to function properly.

(2021-03-01 15:11)Saoirse Fiain Wrote:  I am personally against the whole thing for the most part, as I've seen some pretty outrageous things (for example, in a discord server that I was in, we weren't allowed to say the word December or even mention it because one of the members had a bad experience in that month, I suppose?)

I often feel like I'm walking on eggshells in certain therian sub-communities because so many people have such diverse trigger lists for the most ridiculous things. And if you even dare to mention the fact that being triggered by the word "cabbage" for example (yes, I've seen that) is improbable, you are labeled as ableist, a gatekeeper, and other choice words. It keeps happening to me and I'm getting tired of it. Society is not going to conform to your tastes and distastes and whether you like it or not you are going to have to learn to integrate with society in order to function properly.

This truly put into prospective how out of hand it has all gotten. And the fact these words aren’t going to be commonly used in more broad internet spaces, goes to show they’re just shoving the “this word triggers me, don’t say it” instead of removing themselves from the situation when it is said.

(2021-03-01 16:04)CanidOnALeash Wrote:  

(2021-03-01 15:11)Saoirse Fiain Wrote:  I often feel like I'm walking on eggshells in certain therian sub-communities because so many people have such diverse trigger lists for the most ridiculous things. And if you even dare to mention the fact that being triggered by the word "cabbage" for example (yes, I've seen that) is improbable, you are labeled as ableist, a gatekeeper, and other choice words. It keeps happening to me and I'm getting tired of it. Society is not going to conform to your tastes and distastes and whether you like it or not you are going to have to learn to integrate with society in order to function properly.

This truly put into prospective how out of hand it has all gotten. And the fact these words aren’t going to be commonly used in more broad internet spaces, goes to show they’re just shoving the “this word triggers me, don’t say it” instead of removing themselves from the situation when it is said.

I assume from the example that this is, at least in part, intentional.

I've found if you for example give people an option to fill something out about themselves on an Internet forum, they will create some kind of preference and stick with it, even if it's something they never even considered beforehand.

We've seen it with pronouns. Some people are trans and have a genuine emotional need to be recognised. Most people however see it as an arbitrary label they can choose and force other people to validate.

These triggers are no different. There are a few people with PTSD, who can act unpredictably when triggered. And then there's everyone else who sees it as some kind of arbitrary preference thing they can choose for themselves -- and then bully people who do not comply with their demand to be validated on their arbitrary preference.

I can't help but feel that a lot of this is caused simply by the lack of adults in certain social groups.

LP,
Dusty

I sadly have TWs. Animal, Beast, Animorphs, and variants on those. I can say them, sometimes, and see them, but it's not easy. I know the general consensus these are bad for you. But I've lived this way for over 20 years. I'm defending the use of them for CERTAIN cases.