Repeated Exposure to Traumatic Images May Be Harmful to Health

I don't at all understand why people want to read or watch horror stories. I do like mysteries, where the point is finding out who did it, how, and why, but those are different than horror stories.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120904150108.htm

ScienceDaily (Sep. 4, 2012) — Repeated exposure to violent images from the terrorist attacks of September 11 and the Iraq War led to an increase in physical and psychological ailments in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults, according to a new UC Irvine study.

The study sheds light on the lingering effects of "collective traumas" such as natural disasters, mass shootings and terrorist attacks. A steady diet of graphic media images may have long-lasting mental and physical health consequences, says study author Roxane Cohen Silver, UCI professor of psychology & social behavior, medicine and public health.

"I would not advocate restricting nor censoring war images for the psychological well-being of the public," Silver said. "Instead, I think it's important for people to be aware that there is no psychological benefit to repeated exposure to graphic images of horror."