Investigating the experience of viewing extreme real-world violence online: Naturalistic evidence from an online discussion forum

Autor: Joshua Edward Stubbs, Laura Louise Nicklin, Luke Wilsdon, Joanne Lloyd
Rok vydání: 2022
Předmět:
Zdroj: New Media & Society. :146144482211084
ISSN: 1461-7315
1461-4448
DOI: 10.1177/14614448221108451
Popis: This study investigates the psychological impact of viewing user-generated content depicting extreme real-world violence. Eight threads were harvested from a publicly accessible online discussion forum in which people discussed their experiences of witnessing real-world torture, maiming or death online. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to systematically analyse these threads. The themes capture the contradictory ways in which people react to viewing extreme real-world violence online, with some finding it intensely distressing and others using it as a resource for psychological grounding or (perceived) strengthening. Based on this analysis, we highlight pathways that may lead to the cessation or continuation of viewing such content and argue that greater research on this seemingly common but under-studied experience is warranted.
Databáze: OpenAIRE