Emmanuel Monfort1, Mohammad Hassan Afzali2. 1. Department of Psychology, Univ. Grenobles Alpes, UFR SHS, 1251 avenue Centrale, BP 47, 38040 Grenoble Cedex 9, France. Electronic address: emmanuel.monfort@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr. 2. Department of Psychology, Univ. Grenobles Alpes, UFR SHS, 1251 avenue Centrale, BP 47, 38040 Grenoble Cedex 9, France.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: A major terror attack occurred in the Paris region on 13th November 2015. This event was widely showed, described, and commented in the media. Media consumption may lead to a widespread diffusion of trauma-related symptoms following a collective trauma. These effects may depend on the type of media and emotion regulation strategies used by the media consumer. METHOD: Trauma history, traumatic symptoms, media consumption, psychological distress, and emotion regulation strategies of 451 young adults were assessed by an online survey. RESULTS: Findings reveal the joint role of social networks use and dysfunctional emotion regulation strategies on anxiety, depression, and somatization symptoms and also on cognitive and emotional alteration among traumatic symptoms. DISCUSSION: Consistent with the emotional contagion hypothesis, individuals who reported spending more time on social networks were also those who were experiencing more psychological distress.
OBJECTIVE: A major terror attack occurred in the Paris region on 13th November 2015. This event was widely showed, described, and commented in the media. Media consumption may lead to a widespread diffusion of trauma-related symptoms following a collective trauma. These effects may depend on the type of media and emotion regulation strategies used by the media consumer. METHOD:Trauma history, traumatic symptoms, media consumption, psychological distress, and emotion regulation strategies of 451 young adults were assessed by an online survey. RESULTS: Findings reveal the joint role of social networks use and dysfunctional emotion regulation strategies on anxiety, depression, and somatization symptoms and also on cognitive and emotional alteration among traumatic symptoms. DISCUSSION: Consistent with the emotional contagion hypothesis, individuals who reported spending more time on social networks were also those who were experiencing more psychological distress.