A Fair Discussion Of Touch Triggers

Touch Triggers, better known as TT is a phenomenon that describes people in Pony Town as people that hate being touched in game. The people with TT claim that its a trigger than can cause serious issues like hesrt attacks, panic attacks, etc. But what is TT? Today I want to take an analytical look at this Pony Town phenomenon and kindly point out the facts of both sides and share some thoughts about it.

Check out some merch:

Ponytown fansite

[SpiritWolfeMoon]

On the facts that Danny stated in regards to sexual abuse playing part in a touch trigger it is quite accurate, as someone who has dealt with sexual abuse in my past and am now dealing with PTSD to this day I can say that yes sometimes it can cause anxiety although for me it's really only there in real life or when explicit sexual things are brought up in games regardless of what game (It as a matter of fact happened to me in Minecraft where I had a panic attack as the individual began doing a sort of ERP with me without consent and ignoring that I was very likely a minor) and it's especially prominent with those I knew from when I was incredibly young. Additionally I completely agree with Danny's point in which you have an in game touch trigger where you will have full on panic attacks because of something of the sort I beg you please do get help, because you will suffer a lot, additionally and I'm not trying to be mean but if you have a lot of people going after you for having a potential sensitivity to being touched then you can get a couple friends who you trust and play on the Party Island instead so you are somewhere that people wont be able to upset you.
Now of course I still see the reason that many individuals don't believe that it can potentially cause anxiety and or discomfort. But please just don't try to start a fight in regards to it because it's pointless and if they do get anxiety due to being touched in game then it could potentially make the problem worse so just don't.

[_Delta]

As someone who feels like puking when my dad sits close to me, I probably do have a serious TT.

But being in PT is very comforting, it's where I can chase around pretending to beat each other with brooms, cuddle and kiss, with people I met a minute ago.

I completely don't understand how a TT can be in a 2D game, but respecting other's wishes is usually not that hard.
Unless they yell at me for being closer than 3 horse lengths away or something, if you have time to yell at me you have time to hide me, so stfu.

[lure_]

I think its Stupid, I myself have haphephobia. It feels like my genuine discomforts are being mocked and turned into a fun little quirk. Its all just a cute little trend to them, not wanting your cute little pixlized pony to be "touched" in game just Doesnt compare to the genuine discomfort I've experienced. (Only an opinion)

[marskiiih_]

tbh, if someone has touch trigger then okay fine. but this is just my opinion:
i don't understand touch triggers in a pixel horse game, i understand if someone can get uncomfortable when a player is too close but some people gotta learn the difference between an actual trigger and discomfort.
when i used to play ponytown more there was nobody with triggers and now ponytown is full of these people who either joke about having TT or who are being serious. it was so hard to play, where ever you go there are people who have TT and then they complain about the people. if someone has actual TT or just discomfort they should sit far away from others and not cry when a place is crowded. i remember when i was playing with a big group of people and we were at that area first, then someone with TT came there and sat with us then they asked us to move..? not everyone knows that some people has tt or td.
so if someone has TT then fine, but just stay away from people.
i didn't mean to disrespect anyone with this comment, so if you got mad at me get out, i hope that you guys understand my point, i do not want to start a fight with my honest opinion 🙏

edit: if you have an actual TT irl, then i understand that even more than the triggers in a pony game

[Peanutjello]

If you have tt i suggest you to go to the party Island with your friends if you hate being crowded or being boop or snuggle by some pony(people). Really glad someone made a post about this!

[devilcrepe]

Glad someone made a video about TT on Pony Town. I respect TT/TD, I mean I have a friend with TT and another with KT (Kiss trigger), and if you have TT, heres my advice:

1. Do not sit in crowded areas, such as Spawn, 18+ Docks, ect. Yes, I understand wanting to meet more people in certain areas to make new friends with similar interests, but it could lead to getting touched by a stranger on accident due to where you sit; as an example, FNF/NG area on PG server, (using as a example since I'm most often there.) Don't sit at the wall, bench, or path; sit at let's say on or next to the cliffs, you're less likely to get touched, and it's still quite close to FNF/NG area.

2. If someone wont leave you alone, HIDE THEM. I understand not liking to hide people (I don't like hiding people myself), BUT there comes a point where you NEED to hide someone, so please, don't yell or fight, just hide them, its a feature for a reason.

3. If you just plan on talking to your friends, do it on Party Island, not in Public. No strangers are going to touch you there.

[kaithon]

Ive always respected Danny and always will. Now I respect him even more for being a good, neutral person about this.
Danny is one of my idols and I'm glad he brought this up and brought up good and bad things from both sides.

Now I gotta check if I really did sub to him before.

[baja_blast_]

Glad someone finally spoke out for both sides of this argument in a civil matter, truly annoying to see arguments about this where it’s just them throwing insults at one another, as that gets nowhere.

[sherbetstudios]

I’m gonna put my opinion here too:

TT/TD/CD/ETC. Are there to try and make gameplay more comfortable. Except when people use that knowledge to make you more uncomfortable. I myself do not have a TT/TD normally, but I do have a skin for if I’m disturbed and need a bit of space. I never understood it fully until those small moments. It’s hard to explain, but to me when i am infact using that skin and someone sits next to me, it basically simulates sitting next to someone in a bus in my head. I’m nervous. I don’t know how else to explain it. But even before I had a somewhat idea of what it’s like, I still thought if it as something I should just respect. It may not make sense, but just try to make others comfortable and welcome.

Yeah I probably did an awful job at explaining my view and I apologize for that but uh best attempt

[tacosnumberonefan]

PLEASE if you have tt or td go to a dead server like the chinese or something with your friends or something

[frozenstarry]

The one thing that confuses me with the whole touch trigger/touch discomfort issue (actually this goes for any issue that occurs in PT) is that...why can't they just hide them? Like if you hide them, they can't really mess with you anymore so, I don't see what the issue is. I feel like a lot of people in PT forget that the hiding/muting option is a thing and just sometimes make an issue that can easily be avoided more worse than it needs to be.

[RedRosemary]

Someone yelled at me for being close to them when their name was so long that I couldn't see the TT in their name. Like seriously? That is not my fault. It pisses me off.

[ray-was-here]

Thank you for this!! I personally am uncomfortable with random people touching me (and also interacting with me) because I have pretty severe social anxiety (which I'm diagnosed with, but currently unable to get help for atm but plan to when I'm able to) as well as autism and several other NDs, all of which I'm diagnosed with, but I personally don't put TT in my name (as it's not an actual trigger), I put either TD (touch discomfort) or DNT (do not touch), and depending on how I'm feeling DNI (do not interact). Players walking through me or accidentally touching me doesn't bother me, but intentional touching like booping, kissing, etc does cause me anxiety, especially unexpectedly or without warning me first. I generally avoid crowded areas and I spend a lot of time on party island, although at times I'm feeling more okay I will go and just chill in more crowded areas, mostly to people (pony?) watch/look at people's skins (my anxiety levels fluctuate depending on many factors). This also doesn't apply to just pony town, this applies to other games and real life.

I'm totally cool with touching and interactions with friends/family, it's just strangers/people I don't know well. Generally, if I say something, I'm okay with people interacting with me, and if I'm not, I take measures to prevent being touched, and in the event I am touched, I'll either just walk away or explain to them that I'm not comfortable with it. (I would also like to note that even though I'm an adult (18), I'm uncomfortable with seggsual/sensitive topics so I always stay in the safe server, I've never even been in the 18+ server.)

I really appreciate your unbiased opinion, and I really hope that the people who genuinely do get triggered by it get better, and that the people just doing it for a trend learn that having a trigger isn't cool at all :)

(btw I don't normally talk with this much perfect grammar, I just thought I'd have better grammar here since it's a pretty long comment)

[hysteriastrikes]

Finally Danny posted about TT situation!! Ive been waiting for this for so long and thank you for sharing the light to this. I do respect those who has TT/TD but never been supported the idea of TT. Trauma can happen in video games or social medias.

Also another note;; there is this one specific account on twitter who claimed to be TT awareness but its just posting images of users to be avoided [imo it wasn't that helpful] so I don't recommend supporting that account due to personal experiences.

[smalllfox]

I don't like seeing people get upset, and now, due to TT and TD I check almost everyone's names before moving. I feel really bad when people act/are upset because of something I did. It makes me feel horrible. So please, don't fake it, it does nothing for you or anyone else.

[beanshomies]

I think you have a very fair opinion on this. I myself suffer from haphephobia in real life and have since Elementary. It used to be so bad that when someone would touch me, I’d pass out. Even friends or family. My haphephobia is gotten much better over the years to where it is more of a discomfort. I’m able to tolerate close friends and family with warning and I’m also able to completely handle my boyfriend. This has been such a struggle my whole life. I recently came back to pony town, which I have been playing since grass art and dark crappy outlines, to suddenly see “TT” plastered everywhere. Once I figured out what it was it felt like a joke to me. People I asked didn’t even know what haphephobia was. I would get yelled at for lagging into players, or simply walking into a player when they were in my path. In my own opinion, triggers are going over board. But, in the end even though I do not understand it, I will still respect people with it and not bother them or purposely touch them. It does make me feel like a joke sometimes but that’s the price I play for playing in the 18+ server. My word of advice for people with TT. Go to the safe servers.

[thatweirdfriend]

Honestly, I think you hit the nail right on the head with the point that people don't seem to actually understand what a trigger is. I've seen people describe their "triggers" as things that just make them uncomfortable, which is just not what a trigger is.

[jinniejinchimm]

I personally do not have a TT BUT I am uncomfortable with excessive touching in Ponytown (TD), so I really appreciate you coming forward and speaking about it.

[CheeseyWitch]

I do not have a touch trigger or anything relating to it. But I have had encounters with people in ponytown that claim to have TT. I haven't had an encounter with someone who seems to be obviously faking it.
I also encountered someone who said they were going to go around booping people to prove whether or not they are faking it, which really just rubs me the wrong way. I personally feel like even if you do think they night be faking it, don't go out of your way to prove it just incase.
My sister has had an encounter with someone who was very obviously faking it and got angry at her for simply walking past them and their group of friends, but she walked by again later on with a different skin and they didn't say jack squat until she changed into the pony she was before they got mad at her again.

I can't stand when someone is faking a disorder, I also can't stand when someone goes out of their way to prove whether or not someone is faking it.
It's best to just leave them alone.

[Himedanshi_Toya]

I dont like TT people at all, a lot of them bullyed me and blame me things that I haven't done
So Everytime I see a TT or TD I just hide them
I don't need to deal with them in any way and don't want, in that way there's no drama if I accidentally touch them or something