Social media can be a place for laughs and connection. But after a week of unsettling headlines and graphic videos, it has felt more like a never-ending doomscroll.
One of the most disturbing clips circulating showed the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk — a video many saw without warning. Then came the Colorado school shooting and anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, adding to a steady stream of traumatic content our brains are not built to handle.
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Trauma affects kids and adults
Dr. Robyn Koslowitz, a clinical child psychologist who specializes in trauma, explained why graphic content can be so overwhelming.
“Our brain is swimming in a soup of constant stress hormones,” she said.
The brain’s stress center does not know the difference between something far away and something happening in the same room. That’s why disturbing images can trigger the same panic response as an immediate threat.
Parents, Koslowitz added, must manage their own emotions before helping their children.
The brain’s ‘trauma app’
Koslowitz compared trauma to a smartphone app that opens automatically. When triggered, the “trauma app” floods the body with “notifications,” or stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline.
“That app happens whenever we’re traumatized, and it turns itself on,” she explained. “So, sort of saying to that trauma app, ‘Thanks, trauma app… but I don’t need you to keep replaying that image over and over.’”
She recommends starting with simple steps like breathing and grounding exercises, then teaching children to do the same.
When cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone, stays elevated for long periods, it can cause mental and physical health problems like inflammation (TikTok is full of “cortisol face” videos) and a weakened immune system. Normally, cortisol gives you a short-term burst of energy to deal with danger. But if the brain keeps releasing it after the threat has passed, it can backfire.
Importance of unplugging
The nonstop nature of social media makes unplugging difficult. Yet Koslowitz said it is one of the most important tools for mental health.
“If there’s something that is urgent for you to know, like if there’s an active threat in your area, you will find out about it,” she said. “Reading and reading and scrolling and scrolling is not going to get you anywhere.”
Families can set aside device-free times such as dinner. “Not because I’m this mean, controlling parent,” Koslowitz said, “but because our brains need a break, and we need to focus on each other right now.”
Words are safer than pictures
Another way to reduce stress is to change how you consume the news. Koslowitz suggests reading instead of watching or looking at imagery.
“Even 9/11, I don’t want to look at the images,” she said. “I want to read a story about it. Words are so much safer than pictures for our brain to process.”
She also encourages parents to adjust permissions on kids’ devices to block graphic content.
When doomscrolling takes over
The slang terms “doomscrolling” and “brain rot” describe real problems. One red flag is when scrolling feels like being “in jail” — you want to stop but can’t. Another is when your body reacts as if you are in danger, with a racing heart or clenched stomach.
“Constantly feeding your brain disturbing images is going to get your brain very sensitized to disturbing images,” Koslowitz said. “That’s not a good and healthy thing.”
Stress hormones are vital in true emergencies. But when they are triggered by endless online videos, they damage the body instead of protecting it.
Even one small change can help. Koslowitz suggests muting notifications, setting filters to avoid graphic images, and stepping outside for fresh air. Exercise and nature both reduce stress hormones and reset focus.
Finding healthier alternatives, like journaling or a physical activity, can also help.
