From a psychologist’s point of view, the images of the attacks by the Islamist Hamas and the war with Israel can have serious consequences for viewers. “Many people see these images who are not trained to deal with them,” said Barbara Schmidt from Jena University Hospital. Not only destroyed houses would be shown, but also pictures of people.
And the fact that shocked people reported on television about the massacre at a festival near the Gaza Strip made the event very close and therefore extremely frightening.
Being afraid is understandable and also a healthy reaction, she continued. “That’s what defines us as human beings: we have compassion.” The problem is that some people fall into a kind of “problem trance” and continue to consume content that triggers this fear. This could lead to you becoming numb or completely paralyzed. “At a certain point it’s a disorder and you should go to therapy.”
Banal things help
In order to get out of this state, the expert recommends: “You should be aware: This is happening, it’s terrible, but it’s not my life.” You quickly find yourself in a situation where you feel privileged and bad. But: “Everyone has the right to look after themselves. It is not helpful to feel bad out of solidarity.” Banal things are often helpful – such as exercise, a warm bath and a good night’s sleep.
Don’t go to bed straight after the news
In general, it’s good to be informed – but it’s important to find the right balance. “I would recommend finding a time of day to get information – and then do something fun afterwards.” Watching the news in the evening and then going to bed is not advisable. So-called doomscrolling, the constant consumption of bad content from various channels, can also be prevented with an alarm clock. She also doesn’t recommend subscribing to push notifications and constantly receiving new messages on your cell phone. On the other hand, the idea of not consuming any media at all is illusory and doomed to failure.
