Watch Out! Exploring the Role of Social-Media Exposure to Political Violence Over-Time

Introduction: Violent deaths and related trauma due to political violence and terrorism occur worldwide, yet they are rarely broadcast online via social media–as happened on October 7th in Israel. During this terror attack, videos of brutal murders quickly spread through social media. While the psychological impact of exposure to traumatic content has been previously explored, the effects of real-time and prolonged online exposure to such content have yet to be investigated longitudinally. Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate the longitudinal impact of social media exposure on secondary traumatic stress, needs-based experience, and subsequent well-being and resilience. Method: 167 participants (mean age = 40.08, SD = 13.56, 61% women) completed self-report questionnaires two to three weeks after the terror attack on October 7^th, and completed the same questionnaires relating to social media exposure to traumatic events, secondary traumatic stress, experiences of needs satisfaction/frustration, and psychological distress 7–8 months later. Results: Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Higher levels of social media exposure to traumatic content two to three weeks after the terror attack predicted increased levels of secondary traumatic stress, which in turn predicted increased levels of needs frustration and subsequent decreases in well-being and resilience 7–8 months later. Conclusions: Framed within Self-Determination Theory, the findings underscore the gravity of secondary traumatic stress and psychological needs frustration as the mechanisms mediating the association between social media exposure and well-being and resilience over time. Furthermore, the research findings highlight the importance of limiting media usage during traumatic events.