With the intense war unfolding in Israel and Gaza, I bet your social media feed is loaded with photos and videos that can be so very difficult to stomach. From heart-wrenching scenes of hostage situations, beheadings, murders, bombings and other grim realities of war, it’s everywhere.
We all want to know what’s going on, no doubt. Many of these social media posts fill the void of official updates and reveal the brutalities of conflict. But — and this is a big BUT — not everything you see online is the real deal. Some content might be doctored or taken out of context and violate those depicted’s privacy and human rights.
Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok aim to keep you glued to the screen and keep you scrolling and seeing these images. If you want to take control of your feeds, I put together this quick list to help you.
Don’t let videos play automatically.
- Tap your profile picture.
- Select Settings & privacy, then Settings.
- Tap Media in the left menu.
- Tap the dropdown menu next to Auto-Play Videos and select Off.
Learn how to turn off autoplay videos on your iPhone or Android.
Adjust your sensitive content settings.
- Tap your profile picture. In the upper right corner, tap the three horizontal lines.
- Go to Settings and privacy > Suggested content > Sensitive content.
- Choose Less.
TikTok
“Restricted Mode” limits graphic videos on the For You Page.
- Tap on your profile picture. Tap the three lines in the upper right.
- Go to Settings and privacy > Content preferences > Restricted Mode and select Turn on.
YouTube
You can find steps to stop videos from automatically playing here.
X (Twitter)
Find the steps to not see, as well as report, sensitive content here.
Our social feeds can sometimes feel like a relentless barrage of the world’s chaos. But remember, while staying informed is vital, your mental well-being is paramount. You have the power to filter, choose and curate what you consume.
If you want to share this with your family and friends, that would be great.