Open Thread: Content Warnings

One of the features I try to put in my reviews is “content warnings.”  I don’t always phrase it in that way, but the intent is there.   Today I’ll talk a bit about why that is.

I’m writing for a wide audience in this blog, from internet-savvy teenagers through concerned parents and avid fans of gory media, to people who want to find out what this thing their relatives and friends are talking about is, without going into too much detail.  And my Mom.  (Hi, Mom!)  All of these folks have different concerns about content.

There are some broad categories of content that can cause problems for some readers/listeners/viewers.    The one I’m most concerned about mentioning is “triggers.”  These are subjects that can cause traumatic flashbacks in some audience members.  Coming across these unexpectedly can be very upsetting, spoiling the experience of the media for those people.  Common triggers include rape, torture and abuse of all sorts.  I will always try to warn for these things unless it involves spoiling surprises, and even then I will mention that there is something triggery that I can’t reveal.

Then there are things that are less likely to trigger people, but many audience members are not interested in seeing, such as excessive gore or “onscreen” sex scenes.  Often, these can be indicated by the genre of the media, or a passing mention.  (“Everyone Dies Horribly is a very violent gorefest.”)

And then there are the kinds of content that’s usually considered okay for adults, but that parents aren’t keen on having their children exposed to.  Partial nudity, realistic violence, rough language, that sort of thing.  I try to be most vigilant about this sort of thing when what I’m reviewing is meant for younger people, or might be mistaken by parents as meant for children.  (A surprising number of parents still think that animation is, or rather should be, children’s and family fare exclusively.)

Note that having problematic content does not make a particular piece of media “bad”, nor does the absence of such make it “good.”  It can, however, make that piece of media suitable or unsuitable for particular audience members.  It’s perfectly fine to skip a movie with swearing if you’re not happy when characters spew obscenities.  Just don’t ask the rest of us to skip it too.

Also, with children and teenagers, a lot will depend on the particular kid.   A story that gives one eight-year-old screaming nightmares might be considered tame kid stuff by their identical twin.  A twelve-year-old may be much less ready for frank discussion of sexual interest than a fifteen-year-old.  Parents need to keep up with where their offspring are mentally and emotionally when choosing media for them.  (And be ready to discuss difficult questions that might pop up even in the tamest stories!)

So, topic:  Tell me about a time you wished you’d had a better content warning,   Or about a book that you recommend, even though you have to warn people about the content.