Feminist Website Bans Use of "Trigger Warnings" Citing "Trigger" as "Triggering"

Everyday Feminism, which "has quickly become one of the most popular feminist digital media sites in the world" according to its website, has banned "trigger warnings" as the warnings themselves could be triggering.

In an article published Sunday, Everyday Feminism set out to explain what the word "triggering" means. The title of the piece is "Not Sure What People Mean By ‘Triggering?’ This Article Is Your One-Stop 101" and was written by Gillian Brown.

At the beginning of the article, however, there is a multiple-paragraph warning about its content. It begins (emphasis theirs): "Editors Note: Like this phenomenal article, Everyday Feminism definitely believes in giving people a heads up about material that might provoke our reader’s trauma. However, we use the phrase “content warning” instead of “trigger warning,” as the word “trigger” relies on and evokes violent weaponry imagery."

It continues, "This could be re-traumatizing for folks who have suffered military, police, and other forms of violence. So, while warnings are so necessary and the points in this article are right on, we strongly encourage the term “content warning” instead of "trigger warning.""

Not feeling like that warning was enough, the article then warns again, "Content Warning: This article discusses triggering in detail and mentions common topics of triggering (sexual assault, anxiety, health anxiety, depression, death, non-specific fears and phobias)."

The article then goes on to explain that "triggering occurs when any certain something (a “trigger”) causes a negative emotional response." What could be a trigger? "Anything. Absolutely anything," the article explains.

Sometimes they can remind the person of sexual assault or a traumatic event. Sometimes it's something that has not happened to the person who is "triggered" or has nothing to do with them.

"I am often triggered when I see books by Terry Pratchett," the author writes.