Social Media Is Traumatizing Us More Than We Realize

Disturbing headlines aren’t new ― but thanks to social media, we’re more exposed to them than ever.

From uninterrupted streaming of the Capitol riot in Washington, D.C., to videos of police mistreating Black and brown people to updates about the rising COVID-19 death toll, we’re constantly bombarded with doom. Social media provides the perfect space for any and everyone to share the latest information (and misinformation), as well as analysis. There’s no break.

On balance, we think we can handle it because we’re not breaking down every time we spot another tragedy in our news feed. But is this actually a sign we’re OK or is it really an indication that we’re hurting more than we realize?

According to experts, consuming this constant stream of negative information can be traumatic.