How violent videos on social media affect mental health
RATES ARE TO BLAME. WHOA, WHOA WHOA. THAT’S ANOTHER SCARY SIGHT IN MINNEAPOLIS. WE BROUGHT IT TO YOU ON NEWSCENTER FIVE AT 11 LAST NIGHT. A MAN SPRAYING AN UNKNOWN SUBSTANCE ON DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSWOMAN ILHAN OMAR AS SHE HELD A TOWN HALL. PRELIMINARY REPORTS SAY THAT SUBSTANCE WAS NOT TOXIC. THE HENNEPIN COUNTY ATTORNEY IS REVIEWING OPTIONS ON CHARGES FOR THE SUSPECT THERE, WHOSE MOTIVE IS STILL NOT CLEAR. BUT THIS COMES AS THE MOST RECENT VIDEO, CAUSING ANXIETY AND STRESS FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE. JOINING US NOW IS DOCTOR VARSHA RADHAKRISHNAN, A PSYCHIATRIST AT TUFTS MEDICAL CENTER. DOCTOR, THANKS FOR BEING WITH US. HEY, DOCTOR, IT’S ALWAYS GREAT TO SEE YOU. SO LET’S LET’S DO PLEASE SET POLITICS ASIDE FOR A MOMENT WHEN YOU JUST LOOK AT THE VIDEO IN THE ON THE TELEVISION SCREEN, WHEN YOU SEE THAT VIDEO, WHAT DO YOU SEE WHEN YOU WATCH THE VIDEO? WELL, FOR ONE, IT’S IT’S AN EXTREMELY DISTRESSING VIDEO, EVEN IF ONLY WATCHING THROUGH A SCREEN, IT CAN RECREATE THAT, THAT SENSE OF A FIGHT OR FLIGHT RESPONSE, THAT FEAR RESPONSE. IT ALMOST FEELS AS IF YOU’RE YOU’RE THERE IN THE ROOM. I THINK WHAT WE’RE SEEING OFTEN IS WITH THESE VIOLENT VIDEOS, GRAPHIC IMAGES, AND WHAT WE DO KNOW FROM RESEARCH IS THAT SEEING THEM OVER AND OVER AGAIN CAN INCREASE THE RISK OF ANXIETY, SLEEP TROUBLES, AND REALLY CREATE THAT SENSE THAT THE WORLD ISN’T SAFE. A LOT OF PEOPLE, DOCTOR, ARE GRAPPLING WITH THE VIDEOS THAT WE’VE BEEN WE’VE BEEN SHOWING WITH SOME OF THESE RECENT DEATHS OF RENÉ. GOOD. ALEX, SOME OF THE ANGLES ARE JUST THEY’RE SO THEY’RE CLOSE. THEY’RE A FEW FEET AWAY. WHAT CAN YOU SAY IN YOUR PROFESSION? WHAT WHAT’S SOME GUIDANCE YOU CAN GIVE ANYBODY WHO IS WHO IS CONSUMING, WHO’S CONSUMING THOSE IMAGES? WELL, CERTAINLY WHAT WHAT WORRIES ME THE MOST IS THAT FEELING OF, YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT JUST FIRST RESPONDERS WITNESSING THIS. THIS IS EVERYDAY PEOPLE WHO ARE NOW WITNESSING VIOLENCE FIRSTHAND AND EXPERIENCING WHAT WE CALL VICARIOUS TRAUMA. SO FEELING AS IF OUR MIND AND BODY ARE THERE IN REAL TIME. I THINK SOME IMPORTANT THINGS TO REALLY THINK ABOUT ARE BOTH SETTING BOUNDARIES AND LIMITING OURSELVES, WHILE ALSO LEANING ON EACH OTHER FOR SUPPORT. AND DOCTOR, OBVIOUSLY, THE THE IMAGES THAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT ARE RELATIVELY NEW, RELATIVELY FRESH. HAVE YOU SEEN ANY DATA ABOUT LONG TERM EFFECTS OF VIDEOS SUCH AS THAT? NOT SPECIFICALLY THOSE, BUT SUCH AS THAT? YES, WE HAVE. AND STUDIES AFTER EVENTS LIKE NINE OVER 11 OR THE BOSTON MARATHON BOMBING HAVE INDICATED THAT ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE’S MORE GRAPHIC NEWS COVERAGE AND WITNESSING OF THIS GRAPHIC COVERAGE THAT FOLKS DO EXPERIENCE MORE ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND EVEN SYMPTOMS OF POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER. SO IT’S NOT NECESSARILY WATCHING NEWS ITSELF, BUT IT’S THE EXPOSURE TO THE VIOLENCE AND FREQUENCY WITH WHICH YOU’RE EXPOSED TO THE VIOLENCE THAT CAN REALLY LEAD TO A SENSE OF GRIEF AND AND FEAR. SO YOUR BEST ADVICE, BECAUSE WE CAN SAY ALL OF THAT AND WE CAN ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THAT’S HOW PEOPLE ARE FEELING AND THAT’S HOW. BUT WHAT CAN PEOPLE DO ABOUT THAT? SO I THINK THE, YOU KNOW, FIRST AND FOREMOST, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS IF IT’S IF IT MEANS LIMITING, YOU KNOW, SOCIAL MEDIA EXPOSURE, IF IT MEANS DELETING THOSE APPS, SIGNING OUT, LOGGING OUT, PROTECT YOURSELF. YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY WHAT’S MOST IMPORTANT IS BOTH YOUR MENTAL HEALTH BUT ALSO SENSE OF OF SAFETY. I THINK THAT’S WHAT’S REALLY BEING LOST FOR FOR MANY FOLKS, WHEN WE SEE THIS CONSTANTLY ON ALL OUR SOCIAL MEDIA NOW, IT’S IT’S GOOD ADVICE AND A GOOD REMINDER.
Dr. Varsha Radhakrishnan of Tufts Medical Center discusses how watching violent and distressing videos on social media can have harmful health effects.
NEEDHAM, Mass. —
Dr. Varsha Radhakrishnan of Tufts Medical Center discusses how watching violent and distressing videos on social media can have harmful health effects.