As conflicts unfold across the world, social media platforms have become the front line for witnessing the raw realities of war.
The endless stream of graphic imagery, harrowing accounts and poignant posts flash between a funny dog video and someone’s lunch, raising questions about how social media war coverage is impacting people’s perception of humanity and their individual well-being.
In this digital age, are we equipped to navigate the emotional toll of viewing wars through our screens?
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE BRAIN WHEN WATCHING A WAR CLIP ON SOCIAL MEDIA?
The current war in Israel erupted on Oct. 7 when Hamas militants launched a shocking surprise attack from Gaza. More than 1,400 Israelis, mostly civilians, have been killed, making this the deadliest war for Israel since the 1973 conflict with Egypt and Syria.
The Sunday after the attack, the Israeli government formally declared war against Hamas, saying it had approved “significant military steps” in retaliation.
A week later, the Gaza Health Ministry reported 2,670 Palestinians have been killed, making this the deadliest of the five Gaza wars for Palestinians.
Wars readily broadcasted on social media are, sadly, not isolated to the Israel-Hamas war. Last year, as Russia launched a large-scale attack in Ukraine, people around the world scrolled tirelessly, seeking any piece of information.
In all corners of the world, people remain glued to their phones and laptops as it was one of the first moments in history when war reporting was not limited to major publications and first-hand experiences were being spread virtually.
A Ukrainian soldier, nicknamed Stem, presents an attack drone he just loaded with shells for a social media post in the outskirts of Kremmina, Ukraine, Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023. (Bram Janssen/AP Photo)Steve Joordens, a psychology professor at the University of Toronto Scarborough, said online posts about human suffering such as the Israel-Hamas war are awakening the primitive flight-or-fight response in people, thus increasing their anxiety.
This instinctive reflex releases adrenaline in the body and blocks cortisol, a hormone used to combat stressful situations like a bear encounter, Joordens explained to CTVNews.ca in an interview on Friday.
He said this constant “bear encounter” from videos and photos of war, or other triggering topics like the climate crisis and social injustices, is making many people chronically anxious.
“Anytime you go back (to your phone), you are opening yourself up to seeing the bear again,” he said.
While scrolling on social media the constant switch from a “feel-good” post to a tragic one triggers that response.
Since people have no control over the algorithm, they don’t know when the next war reminder will pop up.
POSSIBLE EFFECTS: EMOTIONAL NUMBNESS AND HATRED
As the heart-wrenching stories from the Israel-Hamas war continue to flood social media feeds, individuals worldwide are experiencing a surge of empathy.
Over the last week, people around the world have marched in solidarity with both Israel and the Palestinians.
Yet, as emotions run high, the disheartening reality of feeling powerless to affect real change could take a toll on some people, explained Joordens, who pointed out the crucial link between empathy and action.
“We want to help these people in some way, but there’s just no obvious way to do it,” he said.
Joordens said an overload of distressing content may lead to a state of “learned helplessness,” where people convince themselves there’s nothing they can do to help so “they feel the emotions and just don’t react.”
“We may end up with people who are less pro-social and less willing to help their fellow human beings, because they’ve just reached this point of feeling that they can’t,” he added.
Besides emotional numbness, the deluge of videos and photos circulating on social media can provoke other stronger feelings, even on those who are physically removed from the war.
That’s why Walter Callaghan, a PhD candidate in medical anthropology at the University of Toronto, said people need to be careful about falling prey to sensationalized content online.
Callaghan explained to CTVNews.ca in an interview on Friday that people can have a vicarious trauma response from viewing the “grotesque videos and images” on social media.
“You’ll have those people who have an overwhelming grief or a fear response,” he said. “But there’s another group of people who will have an anger response.”
He fears that anger response can quickly transform into hate.
HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR MENTAL WELL-BEING WHEN WATCHING TRAUMA ON SCREENS
Before social media, people used to wait for war reporters to give a curated update on TV or the radio about what was going on in a particular region.
Now, as nearly every civilian and soldier has a smartphone, watching uncensored war clips in real time from a screen has become the norm, making everyone experience traumatic events as a collective.
However, watching these events impacts everyone differently.
It depends on previous experiences with trauma, current life circumstances, resiliency and proximity to the event, said Callaghan.
Recognizing the normal and natural reactions to traumatic events is the first step to being able to cope with the personal aftermath of trauma, said Callaghan.
“The moment that you feel horrified, that you feel the tears coming on, that you feel the anger building, you’re already overloaded,” he said.
Callaghan said while some can scroll for hours before feeling overwhelmed, these reactions can appear any time from the same day to a month or a year later.
“Even myself, as an expert, I’ve had to step back several times this week and have said, ‘I can’t do social media anymore,'” he said.
A good strategy to cope with the ongoing war coverage is to turn off the phone and rely on a good, strong social support network to have “honest, heartfelt conversations,” Callaghan suggested.
“Having a good cry is (also) healthy,” he added.
HOW TO TALK TO KIDS ABOUT WHAT’S HAPPENING
Viewing wars on social media is not only reaching adults – it’s also impacting children.
Diana Martin, the senior director of counselling at Kids Help Phone, said this is the perfect time to create a safe space at home for children to ask questions and share how they feel.
She advised parents and caregivers to initiate conversations by asking open-ended questions like, “How are you feeling about this?” This approach allows children to name their emotions, whether it’s confusion, fear or numbness.
“Remember that as we talk about emotions for young people, sometimes emotions that are coming up will trigger responses to other things in their life,” she said, adding these conversations can bring up other concerns such as health issues in the family.
If parents or caregivers choose to restrict a child’s exposure to electronic devices, Martin said it’s crucial to explain the decision, while also remembering that kids may have peers at school “who have family or close friends in Israel and Gaza.”
Overall, Martin said it’s important to provide accurate information about the ongoing war in the Middle East as young people’s imaginations can fill in gaps when facts are lacking.
With files from The Associated Press
