Experts warn of collective trauma following unfiltered sharing of images of Itaewon incident

'이태원 참사' 꿈에서도…영상•사진만 봐도 PTSD 유발 '경고'

Despite the South Korean media's strict standards on blurring sensitive images,... the nation was exposed to unfiltered, real-time images and videos of last weekend's tragedy in Itaewon,... through social media.
Experts warn that even indirect exposure to such images can have a traumatic effect on those watching.
Choi Min-jung reports.

On the night of the Itaewon incident,... thousands of people were there at the scene,.. while people across the country were able to witness events as they unfolded online.
In light of this, there are grave concerns that this has led to a form of collective trauma in South Korea.
And this is mainly because of social media.
As soon as the incident happened,.. images and videos of the chaos and suffering were posted online without being filtered.


"I think it was the severity of the photos more than anything, like the fact that you're seeing a dead person on a casual platform. It's not a normal thing. It's not a day-to-day thing."
Experts say seeing something happen such as the tragedy in Itaewon "live" through the media,.. can be as harmful as when encountering the incident "live" in person.


"Experiencing the incident second-hand can be traumatic enough for a person. We call this 'media-induced trauma'. Academically, it's proven that people can also experience post-traumatic stress disorder following indirect exposure to disasters."

Experts say the most common psychological symptoms are anger, anxiety, and fear.
They advise people to avoid watching the photos and clips of what took place,.. for those who experience prolonged signs of traumatic stress.

Some people actually have a tendency to rewatch disturbing images, thinking it will help them overcome their fears by getting used to them,.. but experts do not recommend this method.


"People have the desire to control something when they are suffering. They try to rewatch the thing that scared them until they are able to take control and feel numb. But this is not an effective method. Once you are scarred, you don't make an even bigger scar. You have to let it heal."

“It’s natural to feel traumatized after a tragedy like this,… whether the experience was first or second-hand.
Regardless of South Korea’s social stigma on mental health, experts say people should actively seek out for support and the care they need,… to overcome what could possibly become a lifetime trauma.
Choi Min-jung, Arirang News.”

#Itaewon #trauma #Arirang_News

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2022-11-02, 21:00 (KST)