The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Social media users ‘traumatised’ by news
Large numbers of people are being traumatised by violent and disturbing photos of news events on social media, research suggests.
Scientists investigated the “vicarious” psychological effect of images relating to distressing events such as the 9/11 terror attacks, the murder of fusilier Lee Rigby, and the disappearance of three-year-old Madeleine McCann.
They found that 22% of 189 randomly chosen study participants were suffering symptoms commonly associated with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) triggered by what they had seen on Twitter and Facebook.
The most affected appeared to be drawn to the images, watching them over and over again and “re-traumatising themselves”.
PTSD normally afflicts people such as soldiers, police officers, and victims of accidents, crimes and disasters. But vicarious trauma — known to affect health workers and court jurors — can occur as a result of indirect exposure to other people’s suffering.
Dr Pam Ramsden, from Bradford University, who led the new research, said: “Social media has enabled violent stories and graphic images to be watched by the public in unedited horrific detail.
“Watching these events and feeling the anguish of those directly experiencing them may impact on our daily lives.”