Addressing the impact of images of war on children

Abstract

Amid the ongoing Israel–Hamas conflict, images and videos circulating on social media show graphic violence. Exposure to images of injured, maimed, and deceased children also includes photos of the destruction of places like homes, hospitals, and entire neighborhoods that are typically considered safe spaces for children. Children will inevitably become consumers of some of this material, some unmonitored by adults, and with an immediacy specific to internet access. Do we know how this impacts them, and what do we do about it?