Overview

• Nearly 90% of participants chose to view content after a warning, often citing curiosity.
• Participants with trauma histories or PTSD symptoms were just as likely to proceed as others.
• Researchers describe a forbidden-fruit effect tied to vague labels such as “TW”.
• The study suggests common warning formats offer little protection and can shift responsibility to users.
• Lead author Victoria Bridgland urges platforms and publishers to test clearer designs or inbuilt tools, with findings published in the Journal of Behaviour Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry.