Dear Facebook,

Please stop featuring videos of police brutality on my newsfeed. After logging on to Facebook this morning, I saw THREE separate videos of yesterday’s senseless events in McKinney, Texas, all of which automatically began playing as they appeared on the screen. That’s in addition to several photos of the pool party.

I want to know about these events, but I don’t want to witness them myself — and certainly not against my will. Watching these acts will not make me a better citizen. They make me feel hopeless. They put me in a terrible frame of mind, especially if I see them first thing in the morning, and they make me less interested in getting up and acting to make the world a better place. In fact, some may argue that the widespread dissemination of these videos leads to further objectifying people of color — and that over time, we’ll all be numb to watching any form of violence.

Facebook’s renewed commitment to making the newsfeed “newsier” doesn’t necessarily mean making it more graphic. I understand the importance of these videos insofar that they can help ensure justice for the victims. Just please don’t assume I want to watch them.

Thanks.