Thread by @OlivierCauberg1

Last month, I conducted a survey on the well-being of professionals exposed to online extremist and terrorist content.
I will share more detailed results with you next week, but the Buffalo attack compels me to share some of my findings and advice already. 🧵 1/
#MentalHealth

The first and most important tip is to ask yourself if you truly need to watch the video. (You most likely don't ...) (According to my survey, 10+ hours of weekly exposure significantly increases the likelihood of sleep disturbances, nightmares, cynicism, overprotection, etc.) 2/

I am in the final stages of planning a conference on Gamification, Hate Speech, and Extremism (docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAI…
), and I read that the attacker admires the Christchurch shooter, posted a manifesto, and live-streamed the attack. 3/

So I decided to watch the video while taking the following precautions: 4/

Be prepared for what you will see; the footage will most likely show people being shot, so don't watch the video if it isn't absolutely necessary... 5/

Do not view the video in full screen mode (the smaller the better) 6/

Change the video's color mode to black and white (the color of blood can trigger negative emotions in people) 7/

Turn off the sound and don't wear headphones (sound can cause more trauma than images) 8/

Instead of watching the entire video, skim through it and look at the stills. Still can't find what you're looking for? Then consider watching more. 9/

Do you feel nervous, agitated, or angry while watching the video? Turn off the video and step away from your computer... 10/

After watching the video, take a break, go for a walk, talk to a coworker or friend, or play Tetris! 11/

ox.ac.uk/news/2017-03-2…

You may sound tough and strong that terrorist propaganda has no effect on you, but my survey found that many professionals, including myself, struggle with it. Unfortunately, many professionals believe that admitting it is a sign of weakness... 12/

It is critical to share our experiences to avoid stigma and raise awareness. And what better time than Mental Health Awareness Month! 13/
#MentalHealthAwarenessMonth #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek #MentalHealthAwareness #MentalHealthMatters

@threadreaderapp unroll please