Am I addicted to trauma porn?
Photo by Prateek Katyal on Unsplash
I vividly remember sitting at home scrolling on social media when I stumbled across a video of George Floyd being suffocated by a police officer.
I immediately broke down into tears. It was shocking firstly because I had become accustomed to seeing similar videos in which the pain of black people had been shared on social media platforms. I often ask myself why I subconsciously subject myself to consume content which contains pain and suffering. On the one hand, I felt some pressure to be hyper aware of traumatic events in order to speak out against such atrocities. ‘Trauma porn’ in this context relates to the distribution of traumatic and unwanted content via various media channels. It’s almost as if there is a voyeuristic nature to this trend as consumers sit in and watch people suffer from a distance.
A natural consequence of this is desensitisation. Constant consumption of draining media requires a lot of energy, and it is understandable why we may become numb to violence against black bodies.
Writing this, my heart feels heavy as I reflect upon the tens of videos I’ve watched in the past 10 months. The profound sense of discomfort and upset felt when viral videos are shared and reposted on social media doesn’t seem to leave me. In Wembley, photos emerged of a crime scene in which two police officers appeared to take a photograph of two sisters who had sadly died. These photos were allegedly shared via WhatsApp, with members of the public, gaining access to these videos. A sense of humiliation and suffering characterises trauma porn cases as the privacy and dignity of victims is taken away from them.
While these videos can be educational, by sharing and liking them, a narrative of suffering and oppression is reproduced.
This then begs the question — why do we continue to share distressing content?
Tokenism immediately comes to mind. It refers to the practice of making a symbolic effort to tackle an issue, often unaccompanied by concrete change. Clicking the share button on an Instagram infographic requires significantly less effort than having difficult conversations with close friends and family. It may mitigate feelings of discomfort and concerns of not wanting to ‘rock the boat’. Reposting and liking sources suggests to others that we’re ‘woke’ and switched on to injustice. Small efforts such as these can be so powerful as we are exposed to lots of information at our very fingertips. I am by no means suggesting that sharing information is futile or counter-productive, I’m instead suggesting that we show greater consideration to our peers before sharing. Adopting an active process before posting can be really helpful.
Recently, I’ve began asking myself three questions once faced with the urge to repost information:
- Why am I sharing this post?
Normally this comes down to wanting to publicise an issue. At this point, I then question whether I could have a bigger impact if I shared this directly on an individual basis with someone I know. Am I sharing this for performative purposes? Am I more concerned with how others perceive me? If the answer to both of these questions is yes, I am then struck with a dilemma- do intentions matter when posting?
Now I realise that they do, without a doubt. If the intention is to cause harm to a certain group or individual through the distribution of a post, we must look deeper and come to terms with why we are comfortable doing so. Although we are not responsible for the reaction of others, I think that being aware of the consequences of actions is key to using social media. Scrolling through your Instagram or Twitter feed shouldn’t be a traumatic experience.
2. What benefits will reposting this have on my followers?
If a post has concrete information with as little bias as possible, reposting it could have a positive impact on your followers. Sharing images and videos can spark interest in events and encourage people to take a stand against topical issues. Placing ‘trigger warnings’ before a post allows us to be intentional with the consumption of information. Foregrounding the idea of choice changes the dynamic of reposting. The videos change from content we did not expect to view, to an active choice.
There are other ways of communicating information without sharing content which may be a source of trauma for some people For example, I often journal my initial thoughts and feelings after having viewed upsetting content. I am then able to clearly see what it is about the post that generated distress and evaluate the repercussions of myself then sharing the post. Sharing resources and links to organisations who campaign on behalf of marginalised groups is an effective way to make positive change.
3. Does this post include references and sources for further information?
Thirdly, the next steps are essential- if a post doesn’t reference sources or signpost other relevant sources, it may leave readers unsure as to what they should do with the information. It’s not uncommon to feel overwhelmed at the thought of processing unwanted images and this can lead to feelings of isolation. Infographics allow us to share distressing information in a more palatable way to viewers. Although this comes with benefits, we must pay attention to the actual content of posts. Providing actionable next steps may help to ease worry around the impact of the post on others.
How can we then minimise the negative impact of witnessing unwanted images and videos on social media?
Take a break.
Stumbling across a video containing trauma can be very distressing. Putting your phone down and taking a few moments to come to terms with what you’ve just seen can help as a grounding technique. To bring yourself back to the current moment, try and focus on things that you can see, hear, feel or taste. Do something you enjoy! Listen to your favourite album or go for a walk. It is okay to feel unsettled and being intentional about cultivating joy in these moments can make a huge difference.
Talk to someone.
You don’t need to discuss the content of the video if this proves to be too distressing, but voicing how it made you feel is a great first step. Speaking to someone you trust in a safe environment either in person or remotely via FaceTime is a great step to take.
Be kind to yourself.
Being affected by what you see on social media does not make you weak, it makes you human. Take the time to be mindful of what serves you as a person. Treat each day as a new opportunity to be kind to yourself by filling your day with things that bring you happiness.
While suffering in life is inevitable, constantly viewing traumatic content on social media can be destructive. It’s okay to take a break sometimes and seek happiness when and where we can. Take control of the information you consume and don’t feel guilty for putting your mental well-being first.
With love,
Joy
Joy Brooks-Gilzeane is a writer for MindMapper.
Sources:
https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2020/08/9994208/trauma-porn-black-lives-matter
https://themighty.com/2020/10/trauma-porn/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-53198702
https://www.marieclaire.com/politics/a32802688/stop-sharing-trauma-porn-black-deaths/
