Social media managers and PTSD
Various researchers (including Keith Hamm, Salma M. Abdalla, Gregory H. Cohen, Shailesh Tamrakar, Shaffi Fazaludeen Koya, Sandro Galea) have demonstrated the impact of media on the development of PTSD and vicarious trauma, particularly after a mass traumatic event (e.g. gun violence, genocide). Note: This does not to equate the trauma of media users with the trauma of survivors of the event. We also acknowledge the immense privilege it is to watch a traumatic event unfold on a phone rather than experience it in person.
Yet vicarious trauma is well documented. Researchers Mary Beth Williams, PhD, LCSW, CTS and Soili Poija, PhD (The PTSD Workbook: Simple, Effective Techniques for Overcoming Traumatic Stress Symptoms) write that PTSD can occur among those with occupations that require repeated exposure to trauma. This applies to healthcare workers, social workers, and first responders, but also includes those with repeated media exposure due to their occupation, such as journalism and social media.
What are the symptoms of PTSD? They are many and include: difficulty concentrating, feeling as if you’re in a fog, sleep disturbance, ongoing feelings of distress, persistent negative thoughts about the world and causes about the trauma (including blaming yourself), inability to think about anything else besides the event or the inability to think about the event at all (not in a bypassing way). Several of our team members have noted such symptoms in recent months.
Part of the reason: It’s incredibly difficult to take a social media break in our profession. This is even more true when there is an act or event related to injustice, oppression, and/or systemic or systematic violence due to the nature of our company and values. We refuse to “look away” and do our best to take accountability.
But, as a result, our collective health suffers. We don’t know how to counter this problem, but are determined to find out. Currently, we offer support groups, have advisors who give discounted rates on various healing modalities, and conduct regular team checkins. We are also working to shift roles and responsibilities so we can “take turns” engaging online in a more sustainable way.
In the meantime, to our fellow social media folks, please take care of yourself. Please take care of each other. Our wellbeing depends on it.
