Relationship Between Frequency of Exposure to Traumatic Life Events Through Media and Psychological Symptoms: The Role of Emotion Regulation Difficulties

Objective: Media consumption can be categorized as either social (Instagram, X, Facebook, YouTube, etc.) or traditional media (TV, radio, newspapers), and it can sometimes be stressful. There is an ongoing debate in the literature regarding the effects of exposure to traumatic events through media on mental health. However, previous studies have mainly focused on this relationship in the aftermath of specific traumatic life events. In the rapidly advancing era of communication, it can be said that individuals are increasingly exposed to multiple traumatic life events simultaneously, making it essential to examine the potential impact of such exposure on mental health. This study aims to examine how frequently individuals are exposed to media coverage of traumatic life events and how this exposure relates to psychological symptoms, with a specific focus on the role of difficulties in emotion regulation within this relationship. Method: The Brief Symptom Inventory, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, and Selected List of Traumatic Life Events Based on Media Coverage were administered to 435 Turkish adults (%79.5 women, %20.5 men, mean age = 25.07, and SD= 9.86) living in Turkey. Results: Statistical analysis revealed that participants spent more time on social media (M = 4.0, SD = 1.94) than on traditional media (M = 1.42, SD = 1.85). Similarly, the total frequency of exposure to traumatic life events was higher via social media (M = 4.17, SD = 1.64) than through traditional media (M = 3.44, SD = 1.83). Furthermore, the analysis revealed that difficulties in emotion regulation played a significant partial mediating role in the relationship between exposure to media coverage of traumatic life events and mental health symptoms. Conclusion: Individuals who are more frequently exposed to traumatic life events in the media may experience greater difficulties in emotion regulation, which, in turn, may be associated with increased psychological symptoms. It can be concluded that emotion regulation strategies are a protective factor in managing stress induced by the media content.