"Warning-This Content May Trigger Temporary Discomfort, Which Is Expected and Manageable": The Effect of Modified Trigger-Warning Language on Reactions to Emotionally Provocative Content.

Summary: You might assume that a "trigger warning" helps you brace yourself for shocking news or distressing videos, but new research suggests otherwise. Scientists tested over 600 university students using "traditional" warnings versus "therapeutic" warnings specifically designed to encourage coping. Surprisingly, neither type of warning made the viewers feel any better than those who saw no warning at all. Even for people with high anxiety or existing PTSD symptoms, the warnings failed to soften the emotional blow. The study concludes that trigger warnings, regardless of how they are phrased, simply do not work as intended to reduce distress.