infinite scroll The Internet & Traumaporn: The "Ethical" Consumption of Tragedy in The Digital Age
Dec 25, 2025
Explore the internet's fascination with 'traumaporn'—a term for content that showcases tragedy for engagement. Delve into why traumatic visuals proliferate online, influenced by 24-hour news cycles and societal negativity biases. The discussion critiques the commodification of trauma, highlighting trends like performative allyship and exploitative tactics in content creation. Discover the ethical dilemmas of sharing traumatic footage and the responsibilities of audiences in navigating this complex digital landscape.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Trauma Porn Is A Spectrum
- Trauma porn is a spectrum of content that sensationalizes suffering for engagement rather than understanding.
- Lauren Meisner explains it can mean glorifying trauma for plot or showcasing a group's pain primarily for others' entertainment.
Three Markers Define Exploitative Content
- Trauma porn is driven by profit, shock value, and offers no constructive solutions.
- Meisner highlights three markers: capitalistic intent, exploitation, and unproductiveness.
Modern Sharing Echoes Historic Lynching
- Black commentators likened viral videos of Black death to modern-day lynchings that retraumatize communities.
- Ashley Marie Preston and others argued sharing such footage normalizes violence rather than stopping it.