What If the News Itself Is Traumatizing?
Terror. Horror. Barbarity. Atrocities.
In Ukraine and Israel across the world. And on our screens in our homes. On our phones in our hands.
With the horrific events in Israel and Gaza over the weekend, trauma is everywhere in the news. If you turn on the television or open your phone, you are flooded with images and accounts of unspeakable violence and brutality. Psychology Today explains, “We can easily find our daily lives unexpectedly inundated with graphic depictions of trauma and violent events.”
Violence and especially terror have a pernicious effect far beyond the initial target of the event. Psychology Today notes that viewing violent media can lead to vicarious trauma in adults and especially children. Vicarious traumatization “involves the vulnerability of the human brain to be negatively impacted by traumatic events even if we haven’t personally experienced them.” The concept “has given us an understanding that witnessing traumatic events or even just having knowledge of the events can have negative consequences on our mental health.”
Mental health providers have long known that first responders who deal with trauma firsthand are likely prone to vicarious traumatization. But one study found that even individuals who had never experienced personal trauma prior to witnessing distressing media displayed secondary traumatic stress symptoms. Research is discovering that the bombardment of graphic, traumatic events in the media can lead observers to experience anxiety, difficulty coping, overwhelming fear, feelings of helplessness, and even Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD.
More research is required, but experts are concerned about the distress graphic images and videos in the media cause children. When exposed to disturbing media, children may have difficulting processing and coping with such distressing stimuli, causing fear, anxiety, aggression, sleeping problems, and acting-out behaviors. One study found that watching even five minutes of distressing news each day can elicit these kinds of secondary traumatic stress symptoms in preschoolers.
And with children’s developing brains, it is unknown how long-term the effects of such media exposure on children may be. To mitigate potential harm, parents might follow these practical recommendations:
- Consume media involving violence or trauma (whether on television, the computer, or on social media) in moderation.
- Monitor and limit the amount of news media your children are able to view.
- Talk to your children about upsetting world events they’re exposed to in the media or hear about from others.
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry offers more guidance to parents on the topic of children and the news.
Read the full article here.
Turmaud, Danielle Render, M.S., N.C.C. “Watching the news can be traumatizing.” Psychology Today.com, 14 Jan 2020, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/lifting-the-veil-trauma/202001/watching-the-news-can-be-traumatizing.
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