It was mentioned in Random Thoughts, but I'm in the camp of moving away from using the phrase "trigger warning" in relation to online content in general and moving more towards "content warning" or in the case of skinning having a section for "Please Tag". I think with trigger warning being the more popular term it's diluting the gravity of what a trigger is, but also in collaborative spaces it's important to be aware of peoples squicks just as much as it is their triggers. So, content warning just makes more sense. It's a warning of the content for anyone who might not want to engage with or read a certain type of content.

i prefer the term 'no-gos' or 'please avoid' when talking about things you dont want to see in. they could very well also be things you just dont wanna see in your online space, yeah?


there's no harm in wanting to avoid specific topics, in my opinion. but to label every squick as a trigger undermines the gravity of what a trigger is, and the impact a trigger has on the psyche and general state of a person's being. a squick, on the other hand, should still be taken seriously, but has no real repercussions other than just making someone uncomfortable. 

I'm glad someone raised the issue of 'triggers' being overused. As an uneducated peasant, it didn't even occur to me that the oversaturation of the word 'trigger' was diminishing the severity of the word. In my head, I was beginning to conflate 'triggers', 'squicks', 'content warnings', etc all into the same meaning. I'll definitely pay more attention to the specific terminology I use in the future.

I also much prefer the use of the term "content warning" to "trigger". It's multipurpose in that it can be used for things that can't reasonably be assumed to be trauma based as well (such as "spoiler for X show" or "bright, clashing colors"). I'm still on the lookout for a word meaning "this content won't trigger me but it will make me irrationally angry for a while" (like "squick", except the emotion it's intended to evoke is anger as opposed to disgust).

As for how I actually use them, that's a bit of an interesting case. I tend to put "nothing" when asked. However, if someone else were to write (to use an extreme example) a homophobic serial killer who likes M-rated scenes, I would probably choose to never thread with that character. Not because I have an objection to, or are emotionally upset by, encountering the subject in fiction (I wouldn't have a problem with reading through their profile if asked); but because my characters are my babies and I don't want them to be graphically homophobically serially killed, y'know?

i'm setting up camp in "please avoid." i agree that liberal use of the words "trigger" and "squick" waters down the meaning, and honestly? trying to remember everyone's "please tags" to tag things could get pretty daunting. myself, i don't like anything writing concerning the occult (ghosts, fortune telling, demons, realistic magic) so that always gets put into my "triggers." it's a popular theme, and i hardly expect people to tag it every time its used. i just want to avoid it in the threads i'm participating in.

I use "Please Avoid" instead of using the term "triggers". I agree with most of the others here. I feel like using something as serious as the word "trigger", which usually elicits negative emotions, too liberally would undermine the seriousness of the situation. I feel as using the term "Please Avoid" encompasses more topics and includes more people. I would never consider something I am uncomfortable roleplaying as a trigger per se, as it wouldn't effect me like someone who it may be a trigger for, but I have no problem asking people to avoid the subject with me entirely if the term "Please Avoid" is used. After all, the comfort of roleplayers is the whole reason we have such terms to begin with.

Seeing the arguments for "please avoid", I can see how even the wording of "please tag" isn't exactly perfect, but I definitely do not want to see the proliferation of using "please avoid" instead of triggers. Generally speaking, I almost always put unreality/depersonalization in my please tag section, because it is actually a trigger for me. However, I also love writing unreality stuff, and have a site concept based around it. It's just a situation where I need a warning before encountering it to properly prepare myself for it and any consequences. It's not something to avoid, but something to keep in mind.

Also, in regards to it being difficult to remember everyone's please tags, I personally operate on a level where I always tag common content warnings and discuss the please tags of anyone directly involved in the thread with them, but don't sweat keeping in mind every member on the site. Like, I know people do read threads they're not in, but it's really sort of impossible to keep track of on especially large sites when not everyone does read threads they're not in. If that makes sense.