Trigger warnings aren't just about being uncomfortable, they're specifically about ptsd and I don't feel like the general public should be the dominant voice in discussion with regard to that.
I
really agree with this. There is a difference there.
As for the point someone brought up abouthow other media doesn't have trigger warnings, I think games are kind of unique in that they're so much longer than any other form of media and so they can fit in things that might not be implicitly part of the premise. For example I wouldn't go into this game assuming sexual assault would come up, whereas In a book or novel when you know the premise, you can pretty reliably know what could be included. Frankly I wouldn't be against trigger warnings being included a bit more liberally in other media. I think the most important thing though is to have them up-front so people know what they're getting into and can refund/not buy to begin with. I myself am speaking as someone who hates horror and never watches it, and is probably too sensitive. I once saw a description of the plot of a horror movie on youtube and it haunted me for weeks after. Same with reading the TV tropes page for that movie Us. So that's the constitution of the person making this argument.
Relatedly, I consistently see way more people arguing against trigger warning than I ever see arguing for them, and that makes me... uneasy for whatever reason. LIke, I don't know that I've ever actually seen someone online argue for trigger warnings on stuff, I just know it's an argument that broadly exists.
You know, I agree with you a lot. It makes me uneasy as well. I guess the reason is that trigger warnings are often misunderstood. They are there to prevent PTSD of common triggers, often DV, V and SV. It is not about censoring, it is about preventing other players getting hurt. And remember again PTSD is not the same as being uncomfortable. It is anxiety attacks, again and again, for
weeks, not sleeping, going back over and over to a violent nightmare a person has experienced in real life. It takes time and even theraphy and medicine to get out of. An elaborate, unexpected scene showing real life SV or DV should have warnings. In any game.
For the record I am a horror game fan, I'm looking forward to playing all the scary games this fall. So it's not about just being sensitive. I do avoid games with extensive and graphic SV, like for instance Outlast. And I think Outlast could have described their warnings a bit more than they have done on Steam. Some games do that, and it is appriciated.
Hope it is not too off-topic.. I'm talking in a very general sense here!
