For Netflix users who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), there is a Google Chrome extension that makes viewing the online content less painful. Called Feerless, the browser plugin sends out real-time warning to warn viewers of content that could be sensitive.
Feerless was created by Danielle Long at a 4-week Dev Accelerator program at Coding Dojo's Silicon Valley campus in San Jose, Calif. Leong came up with the idea from her own personal experience watching Sons of Anarchy . During an unexpected graphic rape scene, Leong, a sexual assault survivor, felt her PTSD was triggered.
"Shows are trying harder than ever to add more shock value, which is entertaining -- unless you have PTSD," Leong said in a press release. "One of the biggest dangers of living with PTSD is not knowing when a trigger can happen. Being caught unaware can make symptoms worse, particularly if a person is not prepared to handle strong emotions."
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, PTSD can make people feel stressed or frightened even when they are not in danger. Current data suggests the prevalence of PTSD is 3.5 percent in the U.S. adult population with 36.6 percent of the cases qualifying as “severe.”
The free Google Chrome extension uses crowdsourced data to figure out which scenes could potentially be a trigger. To use, the user would simply have to download the plugin and drag it into their browser. When a scene is about to come up, the extension sends a pop up in the bottom right corner of the Netflix scene. This would allow the viewer to close out of the window, fast-forward to skip the scene, or look away.
“Not knowing when a potentially triggering moment is coming can lead to anxiety,” reads the extension’s description on the Chrome Web Store. “Feerless removes the unknown by providing you the power to take control of your Netflix experience with simple, non-invasive notification.”
Currently, the extension is in its beta trial but Leong intends to make it available across various live-streaming platforms. She also aims to expand its reach by allowing parents to monitor content suitable and not suitable for children.
“My hope is that with this app it helps people say, “You know what? I went through something traumatic, and it’s OK to have these reactions, and it’s also OK to ask for help,” told Leong to the San Francisco Chronicle.
