Violence in the Age of Social Media:
How the Display of Violent News Can Lead to Increased Anxiety, Fear, and Desensitization
In the age of social media, news is instant and can spread like wildfire. One moment you can be scrolling on TikTok and like a video of a puppy and the next you’re exposed to someone being shot and killed. Young people are especially at risk of constant exposure to violence on social media, which can cause anxiety, fear, and emotional desensitization.
According to The Marshall Project, hate crimes against minoritized groups have been on the rise, especially against Asian Americans and LGBTQ+ people. Black Americans had the highest reported hate crimes in both 2020 and 2021, showing a 14% increase within one year. In the midst of the Black Lives Matter and Asian Lives Matter campaigns, some of these incidents were shared on social media. For example, the death of George Flyod was shared across various platforms and witnessed by thousands of young people.
Andrew Weaver, Professor at Indiana University for the Media School, said the context of violence young people are exposed to plays a big role in the desensitization of it. If young people are exposed to violence where they see the harm being done (ie., the consequences) then feelings of anxiety and fear may arise. Now, if young people witness the same violence without consequences, then desensitization may appear.
“So you see, the medium is providing information just the same way as we would collect information and our real-world sorts of interactions. And so it really matters whether that information is glorifying the violence or if the violence has been punished,” Weaver said.
When news platforms post violent news to inform and educate their audience, the violence is often shown with consequences such as the perpetrator being punished or the implications of the harm being done. Their audience also has an expectation of seeing such news on their feed.
When a common user may post about violent news, they might display graphic images and videos without trigger warnings for their audience. This can shock their audience and create heightened feelings of anxiety and fear. Certain users also glorify the violence in videos and images being done, which can lead to their audience being desensitized to it. This can also promote misogyny, rape culture, gun violence, hate crimes and speech, and much more.
Jadyn Berrian, a School of Arts and Sciences sophomore at Rutgers University, says she is often exposed to violent news on her social media feed. On the morning of our interview, April 17th, 2023, Berrian was exposed to the news of Ralph Yarl, a Black teen, being shot in the head by Andrew Lester, his 84-year-old white neighbor.
When asked about how Berrian’s mental health has been affected by this constant exposure to violence, she said it increases her anxiety and fear, especially when the news is close to home.
“Especially even like seeing… stuff about Black Lives Matter, still kind of happening with young black men and black people being shot, like that gives me a lot of anxiety as… a black girl in this world,” she said.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, the United States has seen at least 182 reported mass shootings in 2023; one of those being the mass shooting at Michigan State University. When Berrian saw news of this on her social media feed, she said it made her feel scared about living on a college campus. She said a part of the anxiety she feels when reading the news is the fear of how dangers, such as mass shootings, can affect her and her family’s safety.
Maurice Ellias, Professor of Psychology at Rutgers University, said one of the implications of constant exposure to violence is a heightened sense that they or their loved ones are being threatened.
“It’s important to note that mid/late adolescence is characterized by some normal cognitive developmental processes, such as catastrophizing, that can heighten a sense of personal threat as a result of exposure. It increases likelihoods of fear of harm, potential social isolation, or even pre-emptive action,” Ellias said.
Desensitization to violence is one process, a part of many that young people’s brains may use to adapt to their environment. Ellias said a person’s brain may become desensitized to violence in order to properly function, which does not mean they do not care or are in denial, but more so their brain is trying to protect them from harm and fear.
Manda Gatto, Assistant Director of Community-Based Services at CAPS, said constant exposure to violent news could also create a feeling of powerlessness in young people. For example, the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement during the pandemic increased exposure to the violence and injustices committed against the Black community. While people could do their part by supporting Black-owned businesses, signing petitions, and donating to Black causes, many felt unsure if their impact as one person was enough.
Gatto also said social media can be helpful in regards to spreading awareness but can be traumatic for young people to watch, especially if they belong to the community in which the harm is being done against.
“On the one hand, it’s good to raise awareness, but on the other hand, it’s like traumatizing…to sort of see those images over and over again. And so there’s fear and then also, I think, for some people just like rage about…the state of things,” she said.
As a result of being constantly exposed to violent images on social media, young people can experience vicarious trauma, also referred to as secondary trauma. This is defined by the Vicarious Trauma Institute as “indirect exposure to trauma through a first-hand account or narrative of a traumatic event.”
According to the British Medical Institute, healthcare professionals such as doctors, are likely to experience this form of trauma because they empathetically engage with those who suffer from trauma. Symptoms of vicarious trauma are detachment from reality, loss of hope, feelings of rage, and experiencing shame or bystander guilt. It is possible for young people to experience this form of trauma and symptoms as they are constantly exposed to violent images where others endure severe trauma. So what can be done to reduce the rate of young people’s exposure to violence on social media?
First, social media platforms should be held accountable for requiring trigger warnings for all videos that display violence. This gives users the opportunity to decide for themselves if they want to be exposed to that type of content. Second, the power also rests in young people’s hands. To decrease exposure, young people can unfollow specific pages that typically post violent content or select “uninterested” on posts that display violence. Berrian said she follows news pages on Twitter and Instagram but leaves Tiktok as a fun and entertaining outlet.
For students at Rutgers University experiencing anxiety, fear, stress, or emotional desensitization from constant exposure to violence on social media, Gatto says CAPS is always available and just a call away.
For others also experiencing anxiety, fear, stress, or emotional desensitization from constant exposure to violence on social media, do not hesitate to reach out to friends, family, counseling services, or an emergency hotline for your mental health and support.
Resources
Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call 988
Rutgers Counseling, ADAP & Psychiatric Services (CAPS): Health Services: 848–932–7402,
Counseling Services: 848–932–7884
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): Call 800–950–6264 or text “Helpline” to 62640
United Way 211: Call 211 to speak with a representative for mental health resources and Treatments
Works Cited
“Counseling Services.” Student Health, http://health.rutgers.edu/medical-counseling-services/counseling/.
“Gun Violence Archive.” Gun Violence Archive, https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/reports/mass-shooting?sort=asc&order=Incident+Date.
“Helping the World’s Heroes Reveal, Release, Reconnect.” Vicarious Trauma Institute — Helping the World’s Heroes to Reveal, Release, Reconnect, https://vicarioustrauma.com/.
“Home: Nami: National Alliance on Mental Illness.” NAMI, https://nami.org/Home.
Li, Weihua, and Jamiles Lartey. “New FBI Data Shows More Hate Crimes. These Groups Saw the Sharpest Rise.” The Marshall Project, The Marshall Project, 25 Mar. 2023, https://www.themarshallproject.org/2023/03/25/asian-hate-crime-fbi-black-lgbtq.
Mehlmann-Wicks, Jackie. “Vicarious Trauma: Signs and Strategies for Coping.” The British Medical Association Is the Trade Union and Professional Body for Doctors in the UK., British Medical Association, 17 Jan. 2022, https://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/your-wellbeing/vicarious-trauma/vicarious-trauma-signs-and-strategies-for-coping.
Meredith E. Gansner, MD; “‘The Internet Made Me Do It’-Social Media and Potential for Violence in Adolescents.” Psychiatric Times, MJH Life Sciences, 5 Sept. 2017, https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/-internet-made-me-do-itsocial-media-and-potential-violence-adolescents.
Mrug, Sylvie et al. “Emotional Desensitization to Violence Contributes to Adolescents’ Violent Behavior.” Journal of abnormal child psychology vol. 44,1 (2016): 75–86. doi:10.1007/s10802–015–9986-x
Salahieh, Nouran, et al. “Recovery of Black Teen Allegedly Shot by White Homeowner after Ringing Wrong Doorbell Is a Miracle, Attorney Says.” CNN, Cable News Network, 19 Apr. 2023, https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/19/us/kansas-city-ralph-yarl-shooting-wednesday/index.html.
“Social Media Violence.” Social Media Victims Law Center, 14 Apr. 2023, https://socialmediavictims.org/social-media-violence/.
Wayne, Teddy. “The Trauma of Violent News on the Internet.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 10 Sept. 2016, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/11/fashion/the-trauma-of-violent-news-on-the-internet.html.
