Everyone is different. People have come from all walks of life; different backgrounds, upbringings, trials and tribulations they have gone through, things others can’t possibly comprehend happening to them. Because of that, certain materials may be triggering to others.
Now I know that Tumblr makes fun of the word “triggers”, but it’s a really big deal. They can cause flashbacks to events in the past that caused someone trauma, panic attacks, or worse. To avoid this as much as possible, it is important to tag your content if it contains any material that may cause discomfort or trigger others.
Creators: This doesn’t mean police yourself or restrict what content you put out there. All it means is to label it so that if someone has blacklisted a particular tag (nsfw, tw, tw: [insert trigger here], etc.), , it doesn’t show up on their dash. This helps keep it out of the main tag, and away from younger viewers (This is a video game, so there is a large possibility that minors follow the game and its content)
Fans: Every fandom needs fans, right? Even people who don’t create things are a vital part of the community. Think that game/show/series is the heart and brain, the creators form the skeleton, and the fans are the other organs. They all need each other to exist. If content disturbs you, there are steps you can take to reduce the chances of you coming into contact with that content:
1) Download xkit or other Tumblr add-ons that allow you to blacklist certain tags. This prevents anything with that tag from appearing on your dash.
2) POLITELY AND RESPECTFULLY ask content creators to tag their work if some parts of it disturbs you. Like a creator and their work, but some of their pieces are NSFW and they all have it on one blog? Be nice, and ask if they can tag it for you so those pieces in particular will be hidden, or request a disclaimer on their blog that their work contains certain themes if they do not have one already. The key here is to be nice and polite - it goes a long way. Take every measure to handle it in private; messages are far more welcome than a public post, and creators appreciate the chance to resolve any potential problems in private!
3) Don’t like what an artist or writer puts out there at all, and it is extremely triggering to you? Unfollow and block them. Contrary to popular belief, this is not rude! No creator wants you to be uncomfortable and upset by their work, and there is no shame in unfollowing them and blocking them. This is not personally against them, nor does it need to be. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO TELL THEM YOU ARE DOING SO. No nasty ask, no callout post, nothing. Just leave - do your thing and move on. You are in charge of your happiness and well-being, and if that helps, make the parting painless on both sides and move on.
Doing these, both content creators and fans alike can enjoy this fandom and it can be a safe, fun place for everyone!!
Creators, please tag your work and be open to requests from fans to tag your works. Fans, download xkit or other programs, politely ask creators to tag their work, and unfollow and block creators without a fuss if their work bothers you.
Above all, be polite, be respectful, and this fandom will be an amazing place.
Thank you all for reading!
