There was a video of a Russian missile exploding in a Ukrainian administrative building. I saw footage of Ukrainians rushing to flee the capital via train. A mother was just briefly separated from her child on the platform and her scream was something I am not sure I can describe.
This is what an invasion looks like on social media. It can be overwhelming. Studies show that exposure to these scenes in the media can lead to anxiety, stress, and post-traumatic stress, all of which are reasons to consider watching fewer of them.
If we are prepared to cope with what we witness, the dispatches from the frontlines arrive immediately, delivering chaos and violence. Who we follow and what content we have left on are some of the things that are taken into account by the programs. Something incomprehensible is about to happen to us. A convoy of Russian vehicles is pictured on satellite imagery. An expert says the conflict is World War III. The person predicts that Russian president Vladimir Putin will doinous things. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a former comedian and actor, grimly stares at a camera and declares that nobody is going to break him.
"Nobody is going to break us."
People watching this feel the pull of conflicting impulses. We want to know more, to help in whatever way we can, because of the urgent need for an armed conflict over democracy. The information is moving fast. As we wonder about the lives torn asunder by missile attacks or imagine the howl of the mother who lost her child, the sobbing or numbness becomes unbearable.
Alone with a device in our hands, or sitting in front of a screen, we might chide ourselves for what feels like self-indulgent anguish while Ukrainians flee or fight for their lives. This is not an insignificant burden. Being an observer comes at a real psychological cost, particularly the longer we watch, and when we have a history of trauma, according to research on media exposure to violence and conflict.
Dr. E. Alison Holman, a researcher at the University of California at Irvine who studies the physical and mental health effects of exposure to collective trauma, immediately recommends curtailing news consumption when she is asked about being an observer of the Russian invasion.
The professor of nursing and psychological science at U.C. Irvine says to "tirate your doses of media."
The studies she co-authored found a link between media exposure and worse physical and mental health. She published a study detailing how exposure to graphic, bloody images from the Boston Marathon bombing was associated with higher acute stress, post-traumatic stress symptoms, fear of future terrorism, and as a result, difficulty working or participating in social activities.
The research suggests that past exposure to violence is associated with increased media engagement after a traumatic event, as well as more post-traumatic stress symptoms and worry about the future. The person is at greater risk for consuming media coverage of violent events and experiencing higher stress because of this.
Getting out of this loop means taking a break from the news or social media.
Dr. Roxane Cohen Silver is a professor of psychology, medicine, and public health at U.C. Irvine. New content, commentators, and often novel perspectives can be found on social media. We are not sure what we will find next. Since the invasion began, Silver has not watched any graphic footage or photos, a conscious choice that stems from decades of her research findings.
Drawing and holding this boundary is more than just for self-preservation. We can be compassionate toward others when we care for ourselves. Strengthening bonds with loved ones and other people can improve our mental and physical health. Though few outsiders will or can join Ukrainians as they battle Russian troops with Molotov cocktails, we may still animate a spirit of collective resistance when we remain capable of bearing witness and committed to the cause of fighting for democracy.
This is not an easy task given the dread that this conflict evokes. The real threat of nuclear escalation is one we are contemplating in the midst of a years-long global pandemic, within days of receiving a dire warning about our dwindling chances to prevent the worst effects of climate change. The situation in Ukraine is rupturing whatever fragile sense we had of living in an orderly world.
Silver says that we can attempt to regain control in other productive ways when it is too soon to make sense of a tragedy. Last year, I wrote about how practicing radical acceptance can be a first step in dealing with a crisis. Donations to humanitarian organizations or signing petitions can reorient us away from despair and toward living with purpose and intention. Even if you can't stop the 40 miles of convoy, finding these levers is critical.
Silver notes that we are less than a week into Russia's invasion of Ukraine. We can imagine what will happen but we don't know how it will end. With the knowledge that fellow human beings are suffering, we can also hear and hold close the refrain of the Ukrainian President, who has said that nobody is going to break them.
The Crisis Text Line provides free, confidential support if you want to talk to someone. To be connected to a crisis counselor, text CRISIS to 741741. You can call the help line from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. You can email info@nami.org. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline. There is a list of international resources.
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