Trigger warnings on screen spark dissent

Are they a measure of sensitivity or just unnecessary posturing?

Still from 'Blink Twice' (2024) directed by Zoë Kravitz and starring Naomi Ackie
'Blink Twice' (2024), directed by Zoë Kravitz and starring Naomi Ackie, is prefaced by a trigger warning in theaters
(Image credit: BFA / Carlos Somonte / Amazon MGM Studios / Alamy)

Trigger warnings crop up in social media posts, TV episodes, literature and now at the movie theater. On the surface, these messages are merely intended to inform audiences when content is potentially distressing, giving people the chance to emotionally prepare. But not everyone believes these advance notices are helpful — and some even claim they are harming entertainment.

'Safe and inclusive for all types of audiences'

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Anya Jaremko-Greenwold has worked as a story editor at The Week since 2024. She previously worked at FLOOD Magazine, Woman's World, First for Women, DGO Magazine and BOMB Magazine. Anya's culture writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Jezebel, Vice and the Los Angeles Review of Books, among others.