Face Off: Should books, movies and TV shows come with content warnings at the beginning?

While browsing websites and watching films, you have likely noticed content warnings. Content warnings are verbal or written notices that precede potentially sensitive material. They serve the purpose of alerting readers, listeners, or viewers about the upcoming content, allowing them to prepare themselves to engage with it or disengage for their well-being. These warnings may cover topics such as child abuse, animal cruelty, self-harm, suicide, and violence.

The importance and effectiveness of content warnings have been the subject of heated debates in recent years.

From my perspective, content warnings are crucial to informing individuals about sensitive or potentially distressing material. While their effectiveness may vary from person to person, they play a vital role in protecting vulnerable groups, especially younger audiences. Their presence enables individuals to make informed decisions about the media they consume. This empowers them to avoid content that may upset or trigger them. By having this prior knowledge, they can take steps to maintain their mental well-being.

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These warnings are particularly crucial for individuals with trauma histories, mental health conditions, or personal sensitivities, as they enable them to interact with the media in a way that protects their emotions.

Additionally, content warnings facilitate the avoidance of triggers, enabling individuals to skip content that could potentially have a detrimental effect on their emotions and behaviours. For example, a teenager might be influenced by media coverage of violence and impulsively imitate illicit behaviour without fully understanding the negative impact on their personal values.

Content warnings provide them with the means to avoid media depicting violence, protecting their mental well-being and upholding their values.

In summary, the implementation of content warnings in media can serve as a means to safeguard the general public from sensitive topics and societal discussions. They allow for autonomy in choosing preferred content, foster an empathetic and respectful media environment, and promote supportive communities.

Few topics have received as much attention as trigger warnings in recent times. The act of warning the audience about content in media raises the question of whether it is a noble way to prevent individuals from accessing traumatic memories or if it sterilises the raw power of modern entertainment.

One notable example is Brandeis University’s Prevention, Advocacy, and Resource Centre, which recently released a “Suggested Language List”. The students’ purpose, as stated in the charter, is to “avoid language that may hurt those who have experienced violence in our everyday use”. The list proposed removing idioms such as “killing it”, “taking a stab at”, or “beating a dead horse”. Many students and professors were shocked by the list, as it raises the question of whether warning people about potentially traumatising content will increase or decrease their anxiety.

Supporters of trigger warnings argue that removing them is akin to discussing war with a soldier suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder – it hinders rather than enables the mind to relax while consuming content.

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After all, when we pick up a new book or start a new Netflix series, we hope for entertainment and relaxation. We do not want to relive our most painful memories, as it goes against the very essence of entertainment.

However, research suggests otherwise. Victoria Bridgland, a senior researcher at Flinders University, conducted a study investigating the actual benefits of trigger warnings. The data showed that viewers who were shown trigger warnings often felt more anxious or nervous than those who were not, but their mental and emotional reactions were not stifled in any way. In terms of whether warnings helped vulnerable individuals avoid unwanted content, there was no substantial evidence.

Across five different studies, including the one from Flinders University, warnings typically had no effect. In fact, in one study, participants were more likely to read articles with trigger warnings out of morbid curiosity.

If we genuinely care about protecting vulnerable individuals, our focus should be on creating inclusive and universal content rather than mandating trigger warnings.