Digital PTSD and its association with graphic violence in social media among high school students in Soran Independent Administration

Abstract

     This study, titled "Digital PTSD and its association with graphic violence in social media among high school students in Soran Independent Administration," was conducted to determine the levels of digital PTSD and graphic violence, as well as to investigate the relationship between these two variables according to demographic variables (gender, academic stage, and social media usage duration). The study population consisted of high school students (grades 10, 11, and 12) in the Soran Independent Administration for the 2025-2026 academic year. The study sample comprised (152) students selected through a simple random sampling method. The study followed the "descriptive-quantitative method" and relied on two scientific instruments to collect data: (1) The Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale (STSS), developed by Bride (2004), and (2) The Media Violence Exposure Scale (MVES), developed by Gentile et al. (2004). After statistical analysis of the data using SPSS, the results showed that the study sample possesses a "high" level of exposure to graphic violence and a similarly high level of digital PTSD symptoms. The statistical results indicated a significant positive correlation between graphic violence and the development of digital PTSD symptoms (Sig = 0.03). It was also found that the duration of social media usage (more than 4 hours) had a significant impact on the increase of both variables, whereas gender and academic stage variables did not show any significant differences in the levels of these phenomena. The study concluded with the necessity of raising awareness among students and families regarding the dangers of violent content on social media.