Latest / Mini Scroll / The Internet & Traumaporn: The "Ethical" Consumption of Tragedy in The Digital Age

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The Internet & Traumaporn: The "Ethical" Consumption of Tragedy in The Digital Age · Mini Scroll

0:00
In September 2022, Netflix released Monster, the Jeffrey
0:04
Dahmer story. The series told the story of one
0:06
of America's most notorious serial killers who predominantly
0:09
preyed on young gay men of color.
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Monster was the ultimate trauma porn content and was rife with
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controversy from the start, with the victims families saying the
0:19
series re traumatized them. But something arguably just as
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sinister emerge from the Series, A lust for Dahmer across social
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media that went so viral it quickly became a trend.
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This trend saw users brag about how unbothered they were by the
0:35
Dahmer series, featuring the show's theme song as the sound
0:38
played on their videos. Users displayed empathy for the
0:41
serial killer, made fan edits and thirst traps of him, and one
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creator who even donned earrings with Dahmer's face on them, went
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so far as to lament that the show wasn't morbid enough for
0:52
her. While content that depicts
0:54
traumatic stories and events is nothing new, social media's
0:58
reception to Monster marked a tangible shift in how audiences
1:02
consume tragedy in the digital age.
1:05
This leaves us with the question, how has the modern era
1:08
of online culture influenced the sharing of trauma porn?
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And possibly more importantly, are we as the consumers
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accountable for the ethical implications of this content
1:19
too? From Centennial World, I'm
1:21
Lauren Meisner and this is Infinite Scroll, a podcast about
1:25
Internet culture, the creator economy, and how social media is
1:28
shaping Gen. Z.
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some getting used to this month. All right, so as you guys
4:13
probably realized from the intro and you know, the title of this
4:16
episode, today we're going to be exploring TikTok and trauma
4:19
porn, how the consumption of tragedy manifests in the digital
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age. So trigger warning for this
4:25
episode. It will contain discussions
4:27
about police violence, murder, abuse and other topics that
4:30
listeners may consider traumatic.
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So please click out now if you are just not in that headspace.
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As politics, the news, and pop culture become increasingly
4:39
intertwined, it's nearly impossible to avoid content
4:42
online. Staying up to date on global
4:44
events is extremely important, but these days, as we all doom
4:47
scroll through our feeds, it feels like social media is
4:50
filled with disaster, hatred, and war.
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While the 24 hour news cycle and rise of citizen journalism allow
4:56
us to gain insight into perspectives and parts of the
4:59
world that we wouldn't otherwise, it simultaneously
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exposes us to a host of traumatic content.
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This in turn, leaves social media inundated with a flood of
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graphic images and videos, ultimately contributing to the
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widespread adoption corruption of trauma porn style content.
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Trauma porn isn't limited to the digital realm.
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In fact, it has long been used in journalistic endeavors and
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various literary pursuits. As noted by Dylan Matthews for
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Vox Quote communications scholars have found that across
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many years in countries, coverage of political topics
5:31
tends to more often be conveyed in a negative or cynical tone
5:35
rather than a +1. While bad news is what might
5:39
keep viewers captivated, it is a slippery slope from a negative
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bias to trauma porn. From our research, there doesn't
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seem to be one unified definition of trauma porn.
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Rather, it's become customary for many writers and cultural
5:53
pundits to acknowledge the slippery nature of the term.
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However, two main interpretations seem to prevail.
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The 1st is more generic. Take Urban Dictionaries
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definition for example. Their trauma porn is described
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as a literary phenomenon when quote a writer glorifies trauma
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in their writing, exaggerating aspects for the sake of angst.
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In this context, the aim is to evoke pathos in the audience.
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It's not necessarily about diving into the effects of
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trauma, but showcasing trauma merely to drive the plot.
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This approach is common among true crime podcasters and
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creators who often detail horrific cases, commodifying
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trauma and tragedy in the process.
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While many strive to treat these stories with the gravity they
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deserve, they're often edited with suspenseful music, a strong
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narrative voice, and presented by familiar creators with whom
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audiences have a parasocial relationship.
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Relationship with This often results in the fictionalization
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of the very real trauma behind these stories, as we saw in 2022
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with the romanticization of serial killers Jeffrey Dahmer
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and Ted Bundy. The 2nd interpretation of trauma
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porn focuses on the way it evokes emotion for entertainment
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and who it is specifically for. Brittany Johnson, writing for
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The Mighty, a healthcare platform that allows people to
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share their stories in a safe environment, describes trauma
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porn as, quote, media that showcases a group's pain and
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trauma in excessive amounts for the sake of entertainment.
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As Johnson rightly points out, this often disproportionately
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impacts minorities and marginalized groups.
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In these instances, their trauma is put on display, often for the
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benefit of non marginalized groups, making them, quote, feel
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better about themselves in relation to these issues.
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More on that later. Of course, it is worth noting
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that not all stories or content involving traumatic incidents
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are inherently trauma porn. This distinction here lies in
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three key factors. First, trauma.
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Trauma porn is inherently capitalistic, seeking to
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commodify these stories for monetary gain.
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It's driven by profit rather than a genuine intent to inform
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or educate. Second, it is exploitative,
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often showcasing trauma for shock value rather than warning
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audiences or presenting the content respectfully.
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And lastly, trauma porn is more often than not unproductive.
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It doesn't offer any solutions or constructive dialogue about
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the situation but instead leaves the audience entertained or
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feeling good because being upset, set, or enraged by the
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content validates for audience members that they're
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compassionate in some twisted way.
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In contrast, media and content that address trauma and tragedy
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with sensitivity and care, providing trigger warnings and
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resources, fostering introspection, and encouraging
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meaningful conversation should not fall under the category of
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trauma porn. These respectful approaches aim
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to inform and engage audiences in a more productive manner.
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Now, there are closely related concepts to trauma porn, such as
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tragedy porn and poverty porn. Tragedy porn typically refers to
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a literary technique where a tragic or sad story is told, but
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offers little discussion or resources around the issue.
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Poverty porn, on the other hand, is more specific.
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As Kat Higgins, a lecturer in media and culture at the
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University of London, tells Vox, this type of content sees,
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quote, poverty as something that is shocking, disgusting, or
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funny, as opposed to a structural problem demanding
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structural responses. Conversations on social media
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around trauma porn often overlap with examples of tragedy porn
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and poverty porn, so it is worth giving them a mention to get the
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full picture. For the purpose of this episode,
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I'll be referring to trauma porn as a term that encompasses both
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poverty and tragedy porn as well.
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With that being said, trauma porn has become a controversial
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topic in the digital space. Discussions about this type of
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content have been around for years, but they gained
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significant traction around 2020, particularly during the
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Black Lives Matter protests following the death of George
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Floyd. Through this period, much of the
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conversation around trauma porn started within Black communities
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on social media. With this, we will primarily
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draw on commentary from Black voices for this part of the
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podcast to ensure that we are platforming these perspectives
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since this period and content affected the Black community
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most significantly. In a 2020 piece published by
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journalist and activist Ashley Marie Preston for Marie Claire,
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she recounts how the George Floyd video impacted her quote.
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After seeing the footage, I was overcome by inconsolable
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frustration. Not only was I angry, I've been
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caught off guard. The video played automatically
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when I scrolled past it, she writes.
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I was also upset that thousands of white Americans, whose
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unwillingness to help dismantle systemic racism made George
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Floyd vulnerable to police brutality were now given front
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row seats to voyeuristically consume his pain.
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Preston's reaction highlights some of the major issues that
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many marginalized groups have with trauma porn.
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They are often forced to relive their trauma and
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intergenerational pain for the benefit benefit of the majority,
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specifically white, straight, cisgender, and neurotypical
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people. This is something Brittany
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Johnson points out in her piece for the Mighty Writing Quote.
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When trauma porn is created surrounding the experience, to
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put it lightly, of what it means to be marginalized, it is never
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made with the marginalized group in mind.
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Thus, the art can further trigger said marginalized group.
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The impact of trauma porn was significant during this era on
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social media. Preston and her piece goes on to
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note the similarities between spreading traumatic videos of
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police brutality and racially motivated lynchings throughout
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the early 1900s. Quote Today society takes part
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in a modern day form of lynching, sharing trauma porn.
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She says the method may have changed, but the motivation is
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still the same. The extreme discomfort you feel
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when reading about last century's lynchings is similar
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to the discomfort many Black people feel when viral videos of
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us being publicly murdered are shared all over the Internet.
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Other commentators have drawn similar conclusions.
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In a blog post for Media, PhD candidate Joy Brooks Gilzane
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discussed how the rapid spread of trauma porn across the viral
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space is deeply desensitizing, where this level of exposure
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might lead users to become, quote, numb to violence against
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black bodies. Similarly, Indigo Ross for the
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Odyssey Online notes that this hyper consumption is almost a
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fetish for the United States, one that is extremely damaging
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for audiences. And lastly, Dr. Alfie Breland
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Noble, psychologist and founder of the AAKOMA Project,
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emphasized in a 2020 interview how many of these visuals
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continue to dehumanize Black people.
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Quote, if this was your loved one, would you want other people
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consuming that? She questioned, referring to the
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video of police brutality circulating at the time.
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Doctor Brillan Noble also noted that consuming this content can
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lead to quote secondary and vicarious trauma for many people
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of color who are already acutely aware of the fear and pain that
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comes with being a Black person in America, especially as racism
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continues to run rampant. However, for some, this is
12:44
precisely why this content should be shared.
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Many social media users argue that spreading these graphic
12:50
images and videos raises awareness and shows the lived
12:53
experience of so many. While raising awareness and
12:56
fostering allyship are important, much of the
12:58
commentary from Black perspective suggests that this
13:01
is not the most effective approach.
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As Australian scholars Kathomi Get Weary and Virginia Matt
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Petzama write quote black trauma porn creates white hyper
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consumption and does so without any transformative power.
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Preston makes a similar point in her piece for Marie Claire,
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noting that quote sharing images of Black Death on social media
13:21
won't save black lives instead of eradicating our murders, it
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normalizes them year after year life afterlife innocent black
13:28
blood is spilled and yet the system responsible is left
13:32
intact. Of course, discussions around
13:34
trauma porn extend beyond the Black Lives Matter movement,
13:37
though it remains one of the most covered periods in social
13:40
media activism. Similar this course has emerged
13:43
around other distressing events like wars and true crime.
13:46
Nevertheless, the questions remain largely consistent.
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How can social media users balance sharing real life
13:52
content and, unfortunately, graphic content to raise
13:56
awareness and reveal the realities of oppression and
13:58
conflict, while also protecting the marginalized groups directly
14:03
affected by these situations? To effectively address these
14:06
concerns, let's reflect on why we continue to engage with
14:10
trauma porn in the first place. Of the existing commentary
14:13
suggests that we choose to watch and share trauma porn online for
14:16
rather selfish reasons. During the height of the Black
14:19
Lives Matter protest, for instance, many people,
14:22
especially white people, might have used this traumatic content
14:25
to perform allyship. Because of this element of
14:27
performance, online activism is sometimes referred to as
14:31
slacktivism, an effort freeway for someone to perform activism
14:35
or allyship without actually having to take their efforts
14:38
offline. Quote Clicking the share button
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on an Instagram infographic requires significantly less
14:43
effort than having difficult conversations with close friends
14:47
and family, Brooks Gilzane continues in her Medium piece.
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I am by no means suggesting that sharing information is futile or
14:53
counterproductive. I'm instead suggesting that we
14:56
show greater consideration to our peers before sharing.
14:59
While the criticisms around slacktivism are mixed, with some
15:02
studies suggesting that online activism does not inherently
15:06
harm or hinder offline activism, Dr. Sarah Lucy for the
15:09
University of Kentucky found that more more often than not,
15:13
individuals who engage in online activism treat it as a trend.
15:17
And all of us who spend a lot of time online can see that right.
15:20
When something really major happens in the news or in
15:23
culture, our feeds are flooded with trending infographics
15:26
shared by celebrities, influencers, and tons of regular
15:30
degular people that we know. These shares are meant to
15:33
communicate to the wider audience that they care.
15:36
This performance also comes with conditions.
15:39
Not only does sharing this infographic mean that they care,
15:42
but it's become a widely accepted that if you don't share
15:45
that infographic, then you don't care and you can possibly be
15:49
doing anything offline to help because you're not posting
15:52
anything online. And so we can see how engaging
15:55
in online activism becomes a trend.
15:57
It can be something that people perform online to prove to
16:00
others that they are good people.
16:02
Now, that's a really simplified explanation.
16:05
It doesn't apply to everyone, of course.
16:07
And I know in many cases, sharing and spreading
16:09
information online is vital to A cause.
16:12
But there are clear links to the sharing of traumatic content
16:15
online and the sharer's motivation of wanting to stand
16:18
on a higher moral ground than others by sharing this content
16:21
under the guise of allyship, whether they actually realize
16:24
that or not. Though sharing traumatic content
16:27
might benefit someone's public image during a movement or
16:29
crisis, consuming this type of content can be more
16:33
intrinsically motivated. Watching content that showcases
16:37
things like violence, poverty, murder, addiction, and mental
16:40
health challenges. Feeds are negativity bias.
16:43
Negativity bias is a term that describes humans tendency to be
16:47
drawn to bad news. This can be partly explained by
16:50
our inherent need to protect ourselves from threats, and
16:53
partly due to our own morbid fascination with how bad the
16:56
world can really be. A 2014 experiment by researchers
17:00
Mark Trussler and Stuart Sikora at the University of McGill in
17:03
Canada found that we pay attention to bad news more than
17:06
good news because it's human nature to believe that our lives
17:10
are better than most others. Quote When it comes to our own
17:13
lives, most of us believe we're better than average and that,
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like the cliches, we expect things to be all right in the
17:20
end, writes Tom Stafford for the BBC in reporting on this
17:24
research. Quote.
17:25
This pleasant view of the world makes bad news all the more
17:28
surprising and salient. It is only against a light
17:31
background that the dark spots are highlighted.
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So our attraction to bad news might be more complex than just
17:37
journalistic cynicism or a hunger springing from the
17:40
darkness within. This belief that we're better
17:42
than average is called illusory superiority, and there are few
17:46
theories as to why we perceive ourselves like this when
17:49
compared to others. But egocentricism, which is the
17:52
idea that we place greater emphasis on our abilities,
17:55
characteristics and decisions and behaviors than others, is a
17:58
primary one. Basically, we believe we have
18:01
advantages that others don't have.
18:03
In this context, watching trauma porn feeds that egocentricism,
18:07
making us feel better about our own lives and our own decisions,
18:10
while confirming that inherent belief that we are better than
18:13
average. If you asked the average social
18:15
media user, however, why they engage with this type of
18:19
content, they likely wouldn't say that it's because it feeds
18:22
their ego. Instead, we see a lot of
18:24
discussion online about how this type of content helps users
18:27
trauma bond with others who have experienced similar situations.
18:31
The term trauma bond was first coined in 1997 by Patrick J
18:35
Carnes, the founder of the International Institute for
18:38
Trauma and Addiction Professionals.
18:40
The term describes the bond formed between an abuser and a
18:44
non abuser, which creates a dysfunctional attachment style
18:47
where the victim of abuse may display quote a highly addictive
18:50
attachment to the person who hurt them.
18:52
Now, as with many clinical terms, social media users
18:56
frequently misuse it and the meaning has been diluted.
18:59
Quote. Unfortunately, the trend of
19:01
overusing or misusing terms such as trauma bonding dilutes the
19:04
meaning and significance of serious mental health concerns,
19:08
clinical psychologist Dr. Carla Manley told salon.com.
19:11
For example, when people on TikTok casually state that they
19:14
are trauma bonded with their coworkers due to employment
19:17
issues, they are unknowingly using a term that is intended to
19:20
describe a relationship where a victim is bonded to a
19:23
perpetrator who is engaged in repeated cyclical abuse.
19:27
In the context of engaging with trauma porn online, we can look
19:30
to 2010's Tumblr as an early marker of this term being Co
19:34
opted, where posts and blogs that glorified self harm, mental
19:38
illness, and pro eating disorder behaviors were some of the most
19:41
popular content on the platform. Users defended that this content
19:45
provided a sense of connection and community among people
19:48
dealing with these issues through shared trauma bonding,
19:51
but in reality, the content was extremely dangerous and usually
19:55
quite self-serving. With many of us naturally drawn
19:58
to trauma porn for various reasons, it benefits creators to
20:01
capitalize on this kind of content.
20:03
While exploiting trauma and tragedy for monetary gain and
20:06
clout is definitely a bit dystopian, content creators
20:10
will. Often do whatever they can to
20:12
maintain influence in today's attention driven economy.
20:15
For those unfamiliar with this concept, the term attention
20:18
economy was coined by US political scientist Herbert A
20:22
Simon back in the 1960s. Essentially, he characterized
20:26
the scarcity of attention as an economic problem.
20:28
Although this idea might seem distant from today's digital
20:31
world, it has come to define how many marketers, social media
20:35
experts and journalists view how the Internet and its operatives,
20:38
corporations and creators alike compete for our focus quote.
20:42
This economy, which sees our focus as a finite resource to be
20:46
captured and monetized, has fundamentally altered how we
20:49
connect, Kurt Steinhorst writes for Forbes.
20:52
It poses significant challenges that threaten to undermine the
20:55
quality of our attention, our relationships, and our
20:57
understanding of the world. Of course, TikTok has only
21:00
intensified the attention economy.
21:03
Not only did TikTok bring short form content back to the
21:05
zeitgeist, but the infinite scroll interface on the For You
21:08
page makes content more accessible possible than ever.
21:11
As a result, capturing and holding attention has become
21:15
even more challenging within this context.
21:17
If trauma is what draws an audience in, many creators are
21:21
willing to exploit it. We've seen numerous individuals
21:24
leverage trauma to grow their followings or maintain their
21:27
influence. These creators generally fall
21:29
into two categories, those who exploit their own trauma and
21:33
those who use the trauma of others for personal gain.
21:36
While both approaches generate confronting content, the latter
21:39
is especially concerned. These creators often position
21:42
themselves as saviors while profiting from other suffering.
21:46
1 contentious example of this is Soft White Underbelly.
21:50
Soft White Underbelly is a YouTube channel that was
21:53
established on April 25th, 2016 by photographer Mark Leda.
21:57
The channel has become renowned for sharing interviews and
22:00
portraits of societies overlooked and underprivileged.
22:03
The channel features conversations with a diverse
22:06
range of people, including homeless people and drug
22:08
addicts. The earliest video on Soft white
22:11
underbelly was posted on May 11, 2016.
22:14
Since then, a few fan favorite interviewees have emerged,
22:17
notably Amanda, a homeless woman, sex worker, and drug
22:21
addict. Mark's first interview with
22:23
Amanda was posted on December 2019, where he continued
22:26
documenting her journey through rehab, recovery, and her
22:29
untimely death in May 2021. Meanwhile, another fan favorite
22:34
is The Whitaker's, an Appalachian family with an
22:36
alleged history of inbreeding, which has led to various genetic
22:40
defects among some family members.
22:42
The most popular video on the Soft White Underbelly channel is
22:45
a visit to The Whitaker's home in Odd, WV, which has
22:49
accumulated over 42,000,000 views.
22:52
Most recently, Soft White Underbelly went viral for an
22:55
interview with Cosmo Lombino, a wardrobe stylist in Los Angeles
22:59
who has LED a very eventful life.
23:01
While the interview was posted in March, clips began
23:04
circulating on XA couple of months later, with the most
23:06
popular one featuring Cosmo discussing her ties to the mob
23:09
and her family struggle with addiction.
23:12
While Mark's intention with the channel may seem noble, his
23:15
supporters claim he humanizes people shunned by society.
23:18
He creates Gofundmes for interviewees, and he offers
23:21
money to homeless individuals on Skid Row for interviews.
23:24
His approach raises some ethical concerns.
23:27
Many critics argue that Soft White Underbelly is another
23:30
example of trauma porn and poverty porn.
23:33
They question whether many of his subjects can actively give
23:36
consent, especially since many are suffering from drug
23:39
addiction. And maybe under the influence
23:41
during the interview sessions or when Mark coordinates the
23:44
meetings. Given that Mark doesn't have a
23:46
background as a psychologist or a social worker, many viewers
23:49
have questioned the methods he uses to source participants and
23:52
his general approach to interviews.
23:54
Quote. I used to find these YouTube
23:55
videos interesting, but the absolute lack of empathy from
23:58
the viewers is sickening. Mark Leyda is not qualified for
24:01
this and it seems he has a savior complex, 1X user writes.
24:06
On top of this, there have been concerns about whether the money
24:09
from various GoFundMe campaigns actually reaches the intended
24:12
recipients. Earlier this year, for instance,
24:15
allegations emerged that funds raised for the Whitaker's were
24:18
not making it to the family. This came to light when YouTube
24:22
Tyler Olivera visited West Virginia.
24:24
Before arriving, he reached out to Mark asking for an
24:27
introduction to the Whitaker family.
24:29
A member of the Soft White Underbelly team revealed that
24:31
the Whitaker's had a contract to film exclusively with Mark for
24:35
content creation and were quote in talks about a television
24:38
series with a broadcast network. Tyler then contacted Paige,
24:42
another woman who remains in touch with the Whitakers, who
24:45
encouraged him to bring groceries to the family.
24:47
While visiting the Whitakers, Tyler asked about updates on the
24:50
House, which was the goal of Mark's GoFundMe campaign for the
24:53
family. Betty, the matriarch, said she
24:55
hadn't heard about anything, raising questions about where
24:59
the money was going quote. Olivera tells the Whitakers he
25:02
bets there's 50,000 or 60,000 in the fundraising account, but
25:06
doesn't quite explain why he believes that to be true.
25:09
His video doesn't out Wright accused Leyta of fraud, but
25:12
pretty aggressively raises questions about what Leyta does
25:15
with the GoFundMe donations he collects for the family, writes
25:18
Vox. Mark responded with a video of
25:21
his own, stating that the channel and the GoFundMe have
25:24
quote generated a lot of money for the Whitakers.
25:26
However, he noted that some family members frequently call
25:29
him for money. He provided screenshots showing
25:32
that he has wired money to Betty and explained that the number of
25:35
requests over time is why a new home hasn't been purchased yet.
25:39
He also insinuated that Tyler made his video for a quote,
25:42
juicy story, questioning why Tyler didn't reach out to him
25:45
directly for clarification. While questions remain about
25:48
Mark's approach and the Soft White Underbelly YouTube
25:51
channel, many social media users continue to defend him, praising
25:54
his compassion and appreciating how his content challenges
25:58
assumptions about the realities of homelessness and drug
26:01
addiction. Aside from Soft White
26:03
Underbelly, there are other creators who have faced trauma
26:06
porn allegations, with one of the most prominent creators
26:09
being, of course, Mr. Beast and Beast Philanthropy.
26:13
We spoke at length about Mr. Beast and the criticisms of his
26:17
philanthropic content in our deep dive into him from February
26:20
of this year. So if you're interested in the
26:22
full picture, definitely go back to that episode and check it
26:25
out. But Mr. Beast, the world's
26:27
biggest YouTube, has faced increased criticism for his do
26:30
Gooder content. The basis of Mr. Beast's fame
26:33
and fortune is his philanthropic content where he gives away
26:36
thousands if not millions of dollars to people in his videos.
26:40
In addition to giving away money, Mr. Beast creates savior
26:43
content where he will provide medical treatments or build
26:46
shelter or infrastructure for marginalized people or low
26:49
income people. And while yes, the money that
26:52
Jimmy has given away and the work that Beast Philanthropy has
26:55
done has no doubt changed lives, let's zoom out for a minute and
26:58
consider the problems with philanthropy as an industry.
27:02
Private philanthropy has increased dramatically in the
27:04
past 20 years, with nearly 3/4 of the world's philanthropic
27:08
foundations being established during that time.
27:11
British journalist Paul Valley reports that between all of
27:14
them, these foundations control more than 1.5 trillion USD.
27:19
One of the main issues with private philanthropy is that
27:21
it's always a quote expression of power.
27:24
It's a super rich individual picking and choosing the causes
27:27
that matter to them as opposed to say, paying their fair share
27:31
of taxes. It lets the Super rich live out
27:33
their God complex. They believe the answer to the
27:36
world's problem is private philanthropy because they
27:39
believe that they know where the money they should go, that they
27:42
know better than the governments or local members of that
27:44
society. This can sometimes contradict or
27:47
undermine the priorities of a community.
27:49
We see this God complex mentality through Mr. Beast's
27:52
content. He rarely addresses the wider
27:54
systemic issues at play in his videos, and he absolutely always
27:58
centers himself in these videos. His videos are about him giving
28:02
back, not about the issues he's covering in his videos, and his
28:06
audience plays into this. There are several videos on the
28:09
Mr. Beast's channel that take us through people's living
28:11
conditions, showing us their car, painting a picture of
28:14
vulnerability, poverty, and desperation.
28:17
And then, to make us feel better about people living in these
28:20
conditions, Mr. Beast swoops in to save them by handing them a
28:24
wad of cash or paying for their healthcare or something.
28:28
Rebecca McFarlane for Centennial World explores the consequences
28:31
of this content, noting that quote.
28:33
All too often the forces driving creators are sensationalization,
28:37
notoriety, and profits. Rather than raising awareness or
28:40
foster empathy for the pain of others.
28:42
This over commodification of tragedy tends to have the
28:45
opposite effect on audiences. Desensitization, TikTok trends,
28:50
video essays, and commentary are all examples of how this
28:53
desensitization manifests in the digital era.
28:56
The criticism against creators like Mark Leida and Mr. Beast
28:59
are valid despite the good that they may be doing.
29:02
They have arguably built multi $1,000,000 businesses by
29:05
exploiting other people's pain and suffering and in turn
29:08
helping desensitize millions of people around the world to real
29:12
life tragedy. And while that seems to be an
29:14
approach to trauma porn that most people would agree is
29:17
questionable, creators who go viral by sharing their own
29:20
traumatic stories, like Risa Tisa, who went viral in February
29:23
of this year for her series on marrying a pathological liar,
29:26
face fewer questions about the ethical implications of them
29:29
creating this type of content, given it's their own story to
29:32
tell. So where does this leave us?
29:34
Should we avoid engaging with or consuming trauma porn
29:37
altogether? Or is this content already to
29:40
ingrained in media and online culture to avoid?
29:43
From my perspective, I do think that audiences have an element
29:47
of accountability when it comes to what we consume and why we
29:50
consume it. If Monster, for example, had not
29:53
been such a success with audiences, then maybe Netflix
29:56
and the showrunners would have been held to a different ethical
29:59
standard when the victim's family spoke out about their
30:01
lack of support for the series. However, as we explored, humans
30:05
penchant for bad news is nothing new and it's unlikely that
30:08
people will stop creating, consuming and engaging with
30:11
traumatic content despite the questionable ethics and
30:14
motivations around it. Staying critical of who is
30:17
creating this content and why they're creating it is probably
30:20
the bare minimum we can do to support the people who were
30:24
actually involved in these real life tragedies before we turned
30:28
them into trauma porn. Infinite Scroll is a podcast
30:32
produced, presented and Co written by me, Lauren Meisner
30:35
for Centennial World. This episode was researched and
30:37
Co written by Annabelle, Ben, David and edited by Danny.
30:41
Thank you so much for listening. I love you guys and I will talk
30:44
to you next week. Bye.