Viewing violent ICE videos takes a toll. Here’s how to protect your mental health.

Graphic footage of Renee Good’s fatal shooting on Jan. 7 by ICE agent Jonathan Ross and videos of the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti on Jan. 24 by federal agents have flooded the internet, along with other depictions of violent confrontations between Department of Homeland Security officers and Minnesotans.

Social media has enabled us to vicariously witness many harrowing scenes taking place in our community, as masked federal agents, carrying military-style firearms, smash car windows and tackle people to the ground. Protesters, observers and community members have pushed back, shouting profanities at agents and at times throwing things at them.

This secondhand exposure to violence takes a toll. Research studies following major attacks or natural disasters have shown that people who repeatedly watched graphic footage of the events experienced elevated levels of post-traumatic stress, said professor James Densley, chair of the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Metro State University in Minneapolis.

“In some cases, the mental health impact actually rivals that of people who are indirectly connected to the events,” he said.

Densley shares how watching violent videos can lead to secondary or vicarious trauma — especially as social media amplifies their impact — and how to stay informed while protecting your mental health.

Q: Could you explain the psychological impact these videos have on viewers?

A: You can get anxiety, intrusive thoughts, sleep disruption. It’s when someone absorbs the emotional and psychological weight of another person’s suffering, through that repeat exposure. And that’s a stress response that’s virtually indistinguishable from direct exposure.

A: Empathy is feeling for others and a trauma reaction is a biological stress response. Empathy is a good thing that can motivate constructive engagement. But when your nervous system is repeatedly activated by scenes of violence, people instead develop hypervigilance, numbing or avoidance.

Q: The public has watched footage of traumatic events on television for decades. What’s different about social media?

A: After 9/11, people might have watched the same clip on the nightly news loop. But today, social media is pushing violent footage continuously, unpredictably and often without warning. So from a stress-response perspective, that means the brain never fully gets a chance to stand down.

Q: And today’s footage is much more immersive than that of, say, President John F. Kennedy’s assassination or the Vietnam War.

A: Back then, it felt somewhat filtered and distant, not just because of the editing of newsrooms, but also just because of the quality of the footage. Now everything’s in high definition and surround sound, so it’s much more realistic.

A: The human brain isn’t built to just passively scroll through scenes of real violence without consequence. Every time you watch a clip like this, I think the nervous system responds as if it’s happening to you, not to a stranger far away. Then every additional viewing compounds that stress. So, contrary to the idea that people just get used to it, the repeated exposure deepens the emotional exhaustion and distress.

Q: Are some people more vulnerable to mental distress?

A: Some are more susceptible to trauma responses because of their own experiences with trauma. For example, if you are a member of a minority group that has experienced violence at the hands of police, this can be especially triggering.

Q: What about when the events are unfolding in your own community?

A: When violent events happen in places that people recognize in their city, in their neighborhood, the risk of a stress reaction increases.

A: Turn your phone to gray scale, so it’s not as bright and appealing. Set intentional limits and take breaks from the feeds. Mute graphic content. Limit your repeated viewing. Curate your sources. Instead of being constantly glued to your phone and watching this stuff unfold in real time, wait till the end of the day and then get the summary of what really matters. You’ve got to give your mind permission to rest.