Co-authored by Nikita Baxi and Robert T. Muller, Ph.D.
In the age of the internet, the desire to stay informed about global events often comes at a cost—a cost to our mental health and moral values. Today, the average person spends over six hours online, and most of that time is spent on social media.
The bombardment of negative news and stressful videos shared on social media sites gives rise to the desensitization effect. Desensitization is described as decreased emotional, cognitive, or behavioural response to events after repeated exposure. Evidence suggests that repeated exposure to violence leads to desensitization to violence in some individuals.
The Moral Repetition Effect
A 2023 U.S. study conducted by Pillai and colleagues found that simply reading headlines of unethical behaviour repeatedly can reduce our feelings of anger and the harshness of our moral judgments.
Pillai’s study examined the moral repetition effect, in which repeated exposure…
