Media Use and Exposure to Graphic Content in the Week Following the Boston Marathon Bombings.
Traditional and new media inform and expose the public to potentially distressing graphic content following disasters, but predictors of media use have received limited attention. We examine media-use patterns after the Boston Marathon bombings (BMB) in a representative national U.S. sample (n = 2888), with representative oversamples from metropolitan Boston (n = 845) and New York City (n = 941). Respondents completed an Internet-based survey 2-4 weeks post-BMB. Use of traditional media was correlated with older age, prior indirect media-based exposure to collective traumas, and direct BMB exposure. New media use was correlated with younger age and prior direct exposure to collective traumas. Increased television and online news viewing were associated with exposure to more graphic content. The relationship between traditional and new media was stronger for young adults than all other age groups. We offer insights about the relationship between prior collective trauma exposures and media use following subsequent disasters and identify media sources likely to expose people to graphic content.
Department of Psychology & Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.
Nickolas M
NM
Jones
Department of Psychology & Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.
Dana Rose
DR
Garfin
Program in Nursing Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.
E Alison
EA
Holman
Department of Psychology & Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA. rsilver@uci.edu.|Program in Public Health and Department of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA. rsilver@uci.edu.
Roxane Cohen
RC
Silver
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001753:Blast Injuries / Q000523:psychology*; D054042:Bombs; D001900:Boston; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D054527:Mass Casualty Incidents; D008402:Mass Media; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012420:Running / Q000293:injuries*; D061108:Social Media; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D023481:Terrorism / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
Disaster; Graphic images; Media use; News; Social media; Terrorism