Even when not searching for extreme content, social media algorithms and news content are indirectly exposing people to traumatic events, which could lead to secondary trauma.
While secondary trauma was once closely associated to jobs like first responders, "these days thanks to technology like social media, it can now affect pretty much anyone," said Douglas Yeung, a senior behavioral and social scientist at the Rand Corporation.
Yeung warns, "just like you might not want to mindlessly eat junk food, you might not want to passively continue to scroll through your social media feed."
- Douglas Yeung, senior behavioral and social scientist, Rand Corporation
