RP should require a black box warning. It can be very intense. But done with characters you love and a stable RP partner who isn't going to go batshit crazy on you, few fan activities are more fun.

I suspect you're right that a lot of people don't think that deeply about it. It's sort of like when I think, "Why am I a slasher? Was I born that way? Was it my environment? Did I choose it?" And then my brain melts a little and I go find some pics of boys kissing, and everything is good.