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Psyche ·For the curious

Don’t Turn Away From Tragedy, but Do Witness Intentionally

by Nena Močnik

Published 2026-07-23 10:00:00+00:00

When a war shows up on your phone, how much of it are you supposed to watch?

0:00 / 12:09 · Narrator Sulafat

Context

Opening a phone to find a concert review now frequently means stumbling into footage of a war zone. In an essay published on 23 July 2026, a trauma researcher looks at what this uninvited exposure to graphic violence does to the nervous system. The piece moves past the guilt of wanting to look away, offering a different approach to the news. It asks how someone can stay informed without letting a bottomless feed of tragedy break their capacity to actually help.

Show notes

A practical approach to managing the psychological toll of seeing graphic images of war and tragedy on social media. Drawing on clinical research and professional experience with trauma, the author outlines a method for sustainable witnessing. The strategy involves setting strict boundaries around digital media and replacing passive scrolling with focused, concrete action.

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