GREAT FALLS — Violent and graphic videos are increasingly showing up unfiltered on social media feeds, sometimes without warning. That reality came into focus earlier this month, when video of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s killing during a speech in Utah spread almost instantly across platforms like TikTok and X. Millions of people were exposed to the footage, including young viewers who may not have been looking for it.
Dr. Michelle Hill, an associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Providence in Great Falls, explains that repeated exposure to violent imagery can make people less sensitive to what they are seeing, numbing their emotional reactions and reducing empathy for victims, saying, “We learn how to separate ourselves from what we are watching, and that directly decreases the amount of empathy that we feel for somebody. In order to feel empathy, we have to tap into that part of ourselves and feel with people. The more we watch that kind of content, the more we're able to separate ourselves from it, so secondarily it can have that consequence of desensitizing.”
Hill says the impact is especially concerning for young people, who are still developing their sense of compassion and emotional awareness. She says, “People have a tendency to think, ‘well, not here, that wouldn’t happen here’, but those kinds of acts of violence are increasingly happening everywhere. We are watching it all the time, and it’s inciting a lot of sadness and a lot of fear.”
While some viewers may become numb to disturbing content, others experience heightened anxiety, grief, or fear about the possibility of similar violence happening in their own communities. The conversation also raises questions about accountability. While many traditional news outlets have guidelines about what graphic images they choose to air, social media platforms operate by different rules. Hill says, “I think social media platforms have a responsibility to monitor that content, but the bigger question is why are people accessing it, and what can parents, caregivers, and communities do to monitor what young people are exposed to?”
Despite filters and warnings, violent videos are often just a click away. That easy access means responsibility may also fall to families and communities to guide conversations about what children and teens are seeing. Hill emphasizes that shielding young people from every disturbing image isn’t realistic. Instead, she encourages parents, teachers, and caregivers to focus on helping children process what they’ve seen.
“Identify what kind of feelings they have, talk about why they're having those feelings, and being able to understand the people that we see that have these violent things happen to them, they are somebody's child, they’re somebody's spouse. When we can help kids connect that, we can help build empathy.”
From horrific car accidents to shootings, violent content circulates online with increasing speed. Experts like Hill warn that while the videos themselves may be unavoidable, how communities respond to them can make a difference.
