Quote (Handcuffs @ Nov 30 2016 09:04am)
"Triggered" became a thing after people thought it stupid that social justice and academic circles started putting trigger warnings before talks or presentations on sensitive subjects like sexual assault or rape so that people in the audience who may have experienced that kind of trauma aren't blindsided by it coming up and gives people an opportunity to leave ahead of time.
This got misconstrued by many people who thought trigger warnings were just about protecting people from feeling even the slightest bit uncomfortable. That it protected people from "getting their feelings hurt".
Now people use "triggered" when they feel someone gets emotional (actual or, really often times, perceived). It's a substance-less 'argument' like others have mentioned.
I've also noticed that people who don't need the warnings have begun using them outside of learning and support environments.
I think part of the problem then becomes non-professionals start using the term casually. It's like when people say "I'm really OCD about ____," without actually being OCD. Or, when people describe something as "bipolar."
People on the opposite side then call them out for misusing the term. It eventually has lost its meaning and now just used as an insult.
This is an actual case of cultural appropriation if I ever saw one.