“I can’t sleep,” “I can’t forget the images,” “I am not focused on my work.” These phrases are consistently heard from people today as the news storms us with an endless flow of cruel videos depicting individuals being displaced and bombed, and children and families enduring extreme forms of violence and atrocities. These circumstances are unbearable and difficult to live or watch. Such scenes linger in our minds, evoking feelings of distress and unrest for extended periods.

Why do we engage in this behavior in the first place? Is it due to a sense of moral obligation to stay informed through the news? Would it be perceived as a betrayal to the victims if we were to cease watching these videos? But the crucial question arises: does this continuous exposure benefit us or the victims? Our moral compass may guide us to consume more content, leading to increased stress levels and leaving us actively seeking out more and then we end up in a cycle. This attraction, in turn, incentivizes media agencies to produce increasingly sensationalized material, thereby keeping us more glued to our screens.

Empathy, And Witnessing Pain In The Age Of Social Media.

Living in the age of social media exposes us to live coverage of wars and natural disasters, with an abundance of visual content being disseminated more widely than ever before. Content that was once selectively filtered by traditional news agencies is now readily available on different social media platforms. This unfiltered content has the potential to spread distressing emotions extensively, as explained by emotional contagion which is a phenomenon wherein one person’s emotions and related behaviors can influence or “infect” another person, even in the realm of social media.(1,2) Moreover, research has shown that Individuals who receive information from social media are more likely to experience stress compared to those who rely on traditional media for news.(3)

When you witness someone in pain, your brain reacts similarly to when you feel pain yourself. This provides an understanding of how our brains handle empathy, as revealed in a previous study.(4) It becomes more challenging when the individuals experiencing pain are close or familiar to us, sharing commonalities such as race or ethnicity. Psychological and neurological studies indicate that we tend to feel greater empathy for those who resemble us, a phenomenon known as ingroup empathy bias (4,5), which makes it harder for some to see their beloved ones struggle.

Our Response To Viewing Distressing Content.

Numerous studies have illuminated the impact of exposure to violent content on our emotions, uncovering diverse effects such as trauma symptoms, anxiety, insomnia, and depression. Research indicates that the intensity of symptoms rises with increased exposure (6,7) These effects extend beyond war scenarios to include natural disasters. For instance, after the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake in China, adolescents who frequently viewed earthquake-related images in the news showed an elevated likelihood of developing probable PTSD symptoms during a subsequent follow-up, a risk that persists for months or even years. (8)

Similarly, Microsoft employees engaged in content moderation, particularly filtering child abuse imagery, filed a lawsuit against the company in 2017, claiming that their work resulted in symptoms indicative of PTSD without getting enough psychological support. They reported sleep disturbances, nightmares, and anxiety, and described having an “internal video screen in their head” displaying disturbing images. As time passed, these individuals endured visual hallucinations, panic attacks, disassociation, depression, intractable crying, and insomnia. (9)

Vicarious Trauma

This could be explained better with the psychological phenomenon called vicarious trauma. In 1990 the psychologists McCann and Pearlman coined the term vicarious trauma to describe a set of symptoms that is observed in workers who deal with traumatized people. (10) Secondary trauma is a stress response triggered by exposure to or knowledge of another person’s firsthand traumatic experience. This primary trauma can manifest as emotional distress or physical pain, typically resulting from hearing heart-wrenching narratives, witnessing individuals in distress, or observing graphic injuries. Symptoms of secondary trauma include(11):

• Nightmares related to others traumas
• Intrusive thoughts
• Sleep disturbances
• Hypervigilance or hyperarousal
• Feelings of anger and anxiety
• Apathy or depression
• Physical exhaustion
• Increased reliance on unhealthy coping mechanisms like drinking, substance use, or overeating

One of the symptoms that some people may experience is bystander guilt. It refers to the feelings of guilt that individuals have when they witness a traumatic event but are either unable or choose not to intervene. This emotion may arise when someone believes they could or should have taken action to prevent harm or assist the victims. (12)

On the flip side, constant exposure to violence in the media might lead to desensitization, where repeated exposure undermines the feelings of concern, empathy, or sympathy that viewers may initially have towards real-life victims of violence.(13)

Some people are more prone to have secondary trauma than others due to factors like frequency of exposure, previous personal history of trauma, being the offspring of a traumatized parent, caregivers of traumatized children, and demanding shifts that take a toll physically and emotionally.(11)

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The Effect On Children

Exposure to violence in various forms of media, including television, the internet, movies, and video games, has been consistently linked to negative behavioral outcomes in children and adolescents. Studies indicate that high exposure is associated with increased aggression, anxiety, and a decrease in empathy and compassion. For very young children, difficulties in distinguishing between reality and fantasy arise, fostering a perception of the world as a threatening place. This exposure can harm the emotional and mental development of young individuals, impacting their ability to process information effectively. (14)

Steps For Healthy News Consumption

We may feel compelled to view or share violent content, thinking that sharing such material is necessary for the outside world to stay informed about the current situation. this seems a rational and valid argument, but it’s crucial to recognize that, as insiders, we may be harmed by this exposure, affecting our mental health and diminishing our concentration on responsibilities towards ourselves and others. Here are some steps to overcome this challenge. (15–17)

• Read instead of watching.

News is meant to inform, but sometimes it’s delivered with a lot of strong feelings. Reading the news can be less emotionally intense than watching or listening. If you prefer watching or listening, pick trusted reporters and media agencies that share facts without getting too emotional.

• Control the social media.

Take proactive steps on your social media to minimize potential trauma triggers: Disable auto-play manually on all three platforms to avoid unexpected video content. This allows you to choose the right time to start watching. Mute the volume when audio is not crucial for the video, as distressing sounds, such as cries of pain, can intensify emotional distress. Deactivate auto-download on your social media applications to prevent videos or photos from automatically saving to your phone. Depend on trusted media agencies is better than social media for getting the news (18)

• Control your news diet.

Reduce how frequently you check your phone for news and set clear boundaries. Specifically, avoid consuming news right before bedtime or in the morning, as it increases alertness and stress. Designate specific times in your day for updates (ideally 1 to 3 times), and then keep your phone in a different room. Turning off notifications and using tools to block certain websites can assist in managing your tech use.(19)

• Understand the spheres of your control.

Understanding our spheres of control is crucial for mental well-being, delineating what we can and cannot influence. Divided into three categories—the sphere of control, influence, and concern—this framework guides us. The first is the sphere of control, which encompasses what we can directly impact, like our thoughts and actions. Secondly, the sphere of influence focuses on concerns we can address directly or indirectly, like our social media posts in a specific topic or dialogue. Thirdly, the sphere of concern, includes matters beyond our control, like wars and disasters. This emphasizes the importance of directing our attention and efforts wisely towards specific spheres, to reduce the stress happens while we try to do what is undoable.

• Observe your emotions.

Be mindful of the emotional toll while scrolling and know your emotional boundaries when reading or watching conflict-related content. If it becomes overwhelming, maintain a journal to track and recognize patterns. Practice meditation and relaxation exercises to ease your negative reactions.

• Know when to seek support.

If you find yourself grappling with persistent symptoms like fear, anger, sadness, worry, numbness, or frustration, along with changes in appetite, energy, and activity levels, difficulty concentrating, nightmares, and physical reactions such as headaches or stomach problems, lasting for several consecutive days and interfering with your regular responsibilities, it’s crucial to seek support. These symptoms, coupled with sleep disruptions, worsening chronic health issues, and increased reliance on substances, could indicate a need for professional assistance and care.

In conclusion, while it is natural to experience feelings of distress when confronted with numerous atrocities and disasters, it is crucial to approach news consumption wisely. Balancing the desire to stay informed and engaged while maintaining a positive mindset is essential for preserving our mental well-being. This enables individuals to act responsively, not only toward themselves but also toward others, fostering a harmonious and empathetic approach to the challenges presented by the world.

References

1. Can social media cause PTSD? – BBC News [Internet]. [cited 2023 Nov 4]. Available from: https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-32852043
2. Coviello L, Sohn Y, Kramer ADI, Marlow C, Franceschetti M, Christakis NA, et al. Detecting Emotional Contagion in Massive Social Networks. PLoS One [Internet]. 2014 Mar 12 [cited 2023 Nov 4];9(3):90315. Available from: /pmc/articles/PMC3951248/
3. Goodwin R, Palgi Y, Hamama-Raz Y, Ben-Ezra M. In the eye of the storm or the bullseye of the media: Social media use during Hurricane Sandy as a predictor of post-traumatic stress. J Psychiatr Res. 2013 Aug 1;47(8):1099–100.
4. Jackson PL, Meltzoff AN, Decety J. How do we perceive the pain of others? A window into the neural processes involved in empathy. Neuroimage. 2005 Feb 1;24(3):771–9.
5. Gutsell JN, Inzlicht M. Intergroup differences in the sharing of emotive states: neural evidence of an empathy gap. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci [Internet]. 2012 Jun 1 [cited 2023 Nov 4];7(5):596–603. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsr035
6. Feinstein A, Audet B, Waknine E. Witnessing images of extreme violence: a psychological study of journalists in the newsroom. JRSM Open [Internet]. 2014 Aug 1 [cited 2023 Nov 4];5(8):205427041453332. Available from: /pmc/articles/PMC4100239/
7. Pfefferbaum B, Newman E, Nelson SD, Nitiéma P, Pfefferbaum RL, Rahman A. Disaster Media Coverage and Psychological Outcomes: Descriptive Findings in the Extant Research. Curr Psychiatry Rep [Internet]. 2014 Sep 1 [cited 2023 Nov 4];16(9):464. Available from: /pmc/articles/PMC4144190/
8. Yeung NCY, Lau JTF, Yu NX, Zhang J, Xu Z, Choi KC, et al. Media exposure related to the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake predicted probable PTSD among Chinese adolescents in Kunming, China: A longitudinal study. Psychol Trauma [Internet]. 2018 Mar 1 [cited 2023 Nov 4];10(2):253–62. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27428553/
9. Moderators who had to view child abuse content sue Microsoft, claiming PTSD | Microsoft | The Guardian [Internet]. [cited 2023 Nov 4]. Available from: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jan/11/microsoft-employees-child-abuse-lawsuit-ptsd
10. McCann IL, Pearlman LA. Vicarious traumatization: A framework for understanding the psychological effects of working with victims. J Trauma Stress. 1990 Jan;3(1):131–49.
11. What Is Secondary Trauma? I Psych Central [Internet]. [cited 2023 Nov 4]. Available from: https://psychcentral.com/health/secondary-trauma#causes
12. Vicarious trauma: signs and strategies for coping [Internet]. [cited 2023 Nov 4]. Available from: https://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/your-wellbeing/vicarious-trauma/vicarious-trauma-signs-and-strategies-for-coping
13. Brockmyer JF. Media Violence, Desensitization, and Psychological Engagement. Oxford Handb Media Psychol [Internet]. 2012 Dec 31 [cited 2023 Nov 4];212–22. Available from: https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/28164/chapter/212982203
14. Here’s how witnessing violence harms children’s mental health [Internet]. [cited 2023 Nov 4]. Available from: https://theconversation.com/heres-how-witnessing-violence-harms-childrens-mental-health-91971
15. How to Find Media Balance During Violent Conflicts | Psychology Today [Internet]. [cited 2023 Nov 4]. Available from: https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/positively-media/202310/how-to-find-media-balance-during-violent-conflicts
16. How to protect your family from horrific news images – and still stay informed [Internet]. [cited 2023 Nov 4]. Available from: https://theconversation.com/how-to-protect-your-family-from-horrific-news-images-and-still-stay-informed-181818
17. 5 tips for taking care of your mental health while following the news [Internet]. [cited 2023 Nov 4]. Available from: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/13/tips-for-following-the-news-while-taking-care-of-your-mental-health.html
18. How activists and reporters can protect themselves from secondary trauma [Internet]. [cited 2023 Nov 4]. Available from: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/02/how-activists-and-reporters-can-protect-themselves-from-secondary-trauma/
19. The Mental Health Effects of War: Backed by Science | University of Utah Health [Internet]. [cited 2023 Oct 17]. Available from: https://healthcare.utah.edu/hmhi/news/2022/03/mental-health-effects-of-war-backed-science