The Psychological Impact of Digital Uncensored Violent Content Dissemination: Longitudinal Evidence Accounting for Predisposition

AbstractBackground. Digital media now exposes millions to uncensored depictions of violence. The psychological consequences of viewing such content remain unclear. This study examined whether exposure to uncensored videos and images of the October 7, 2023 terror attacks in Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza was associated with increased post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), beyond pre-existing distress, social media use, and direct exposure to war-related events.Methods. We analysed data from a longitudinal panel of adults in Israel aged 18–70 years. Baseline data were collected in April 2022, with follow-ups in December 2023 and March 2024. Exposure to uncensored digital content, social media use (general and problematic), and direct war exposure were self-reported. PTSS were assessed using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5. Analyses included multiple linear regression controlling for baseline PTSS and covariates, specification curve analyses testing robustness across 1,024 model specifications, and machine-learning (LASSO) modelling of predisposition to view uncensored content.Results. The main analytic sample included 1,053 participants. Exposure to uncensored content in March 2024 predicted higher PTSS (B = 1.29; 95% CI 0.82–1.75), independent of baseline PTSS, social media use, and direct war exposure. Results were consistent across model specifications. Predisposition analyses (N = 1,343) showed that baseline demographic and psychological characteristics predicted later exposure and PTSS, yet actual exposure remained an independent predictor.Conclusions. Exposure to uncensored digital representations of real-world atrocities was associated with elevated PTSS even after accounting for predisposition and direct trauma exposure.