There is a popular quote I like to reference when talking about social media and occupational stress for firefighters: “Content is fire, social media is gasoline,” said Jay Baer, a well-known business strategy speaker.
Then I wonder, what would the photos and videos be if the content is fire and social media is gasoline? The explosion?
Social media has become a dominant, dynamic, and powerful platform for social interactions and information consumption. Photos and videos on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat are at the forefront. Unfortunately, there is little control over what is shared and what viewers see as they scroll through their social media feeds. When traumatic events occur, such as wildfires, war, crime scenes and car accidents, exposure through social media and continuous sharing of imagery from the traumatic events becomes problematic with the potential for long-term impacts and consequences.
A recent case with the potential for long-term impacts and consequences is the recent catastrophic wildfires in Los Angeles. I can guarantee most social media users have seen constant imagery of this traumatic event. Research has shown that media coverage of traumatic events can cause vicarious trauma. Vicarious trauma is indirect trauma that can occur when individuals are exposed to difficult or disturbing images and stories second-hand. This type of trauma causes emotional, physical, behavioral, and cognitive changes parallel to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Research has shown that media coverage of traumatic events can have a significant impact on the viewer’s mental health. Media coverage of the Boston Marathon bombing and the 9/11 terrorist attacks was linked to PTSD by some individuals who only viewed coverage of traumatic events through media channels. Another study reported that 22 per cent of their research participants who viewed violent news images on social media scored high for clinical measures of PTSD. Even though they reported no previous trauma, this suggests that social media can cause trauma, even in people who weren’t directly involved in the traumatic event. The researcher is quoted as saying, “social media has enabled violent stories and graphic images to be watched by the public in unedited horrific detail. Watching these events and feeling the anguish of those directly experiencing them may impact our daily lives. In this study, we wanted to see if people would experience longer lasting effects such as stress and anxiety, and in some cases post-traumatic stress disorders from viewing these images.”
This begs the question: If viewing traumatic imagery on social media can have this level of impact on those who were not at or involved with the traumatic incident, what level of trauma will this type of re-exposure to the incident have on firefighters and other first responders who responded to that traumatic event or a similar traumatic event?
It is well documented that responding to traumatic events puts firefighters at an increased risk for mental illnesses and issues such as PTSD, depression, suicidality, anxiety, panic disorder, sleep disturbances, moral injury and problematic substance use.
Re-exposure to traumatic incidents through videos and photos being posted to social media channels from bystanders at emergency incidents, prompting trauma reminders, is a prevalent experience for firefighters. Trauma reminders, also referred to as cues or triggers, are internal and external cues that prompt sensory experiences, emotions, and bodily reactions that remind the individual of the traumatic event and can evoke intrusive and distressing feelings, thoughts and/or mental images of the event. External cues may include sensory experiences such as sounds, tastes, touches and smells from the external environment, while internal cues are thoughts, dreams, images and emotions.
For many firefighters, once they leave an emergency scene, they typically manage their emotions through avoidance and “forgetting about it.” Then, when a firefighter is re-exposed to a fire scene, whether immediately following or years later, by seeing imagery of the incident shared on social media, this triggers a trauma reminder that can prompt unwanted and unexpected emotional responses causing significant stress and impacting mental health.
I conducted a study called Sound the Siren with volunteer firefighters in rural Nova Scotia, and a significant finding was the impact and stress of social media. There were many layers to the stress social media causes due to high levels of criticism, negative feedback and the worry of how actions may be portrayed online and the narrative being told. One significant piece was the impact social media was having on their mental health. Firefighters described the experience of re-exposure to traumatic incidents through videos and photos being posted to social media channels from bystanders at emergency incidents which triggered trauma reminders.
Then, there is the concept of image-based trauma from any kind of media, a mental trauma that can occur when someone is exposed to disturbing images, such as those of traumatic events. The effects of viewing these images can be long-lasting and serious. If we think about the impact and responses related to vicarious trauma and trauma reminders, image-based trauma is a substantial concern that needs more attention and consideration by mental health professionals when working with firefighters.
Photographs elicit an emotional response and remind firefighters of the high-risk and stressful nature of their job. The power of imagery being shared freely without restrictions on social media can be harmful and is a powerful reminder of incidents firefighters would like to forget.
So, what do we do?
We can’t control the spread of traumatic imagery on social media.
We don’t know much about the impact and extent of image-based trauma with issues of vicarious trauma, re-exposure, and trauma reminders for firefighters.
We need to have a better understanding of this trauma experience related to viewing traumatic imagery on social media. We know this type of trauma is happening to firefighters, but we have little to no research on the topic, and no best practices on how to manage this issue.
More research and evidence is needed to understand the negative consequences and mental health concerns related to image-based trauma from social media for firefighters and other first responders. We need to start educating firefighters on the potential impacts of social media on their mental health and well-being and we need mental health professionals to be aware of image-based trauma through social media and know how to help firefighters experiencing this trauma.
Robin Campbell Bromhead is a former volunteer firefighter. She works as a research associate at Western University and as a public affairs officer in the Canadian Armed Forces. She founded Sound the Siren, a knowledge and research hub focused on volunteer firefighters and other public safety personnel’s health and wellness. Contact her at soundthesirenns@gmail.com.
