ok, i'm going to make a thread on this because people using tws wrong is really frustrating and also invalidating to see.

what is a tw? a trigger warning is a warning placed on content that can cause extreme anxiety and trauma response for the individual seeing it. something that'll set off the flight or fight response, if you will.

what is a cw? a content warning is a warning placed on content that could POTENTIALLY be disturbing, or could produce feelings of discomfort and anxiety to the viewer. this is generally used if there isn't specific or descriptive language regarding the topic.

for example, a content warning would be used on a tweet with mentions of an ed, while a trigger warning would be used on a tweet with descriptive mentions of an ed behavior.

why is it bad to misuse tws and cws? when placing a tw on content meant to have a cw, you're downplaying the severity of someone with actual trigger responses. as a result, people won't take actual triggers seriously, thus making it a harmful environment for people who need tws.

to sum up: a trigger warning is used when descriptive and graphic language about a sensitive topic is used. a content warning is used for brief, non-detailed mentions of a sensitive topic is used. misusing these is harmful because it can downplay the severity of actual triggers.

thank you for reading! i hope this helped to clear things up