‘Gruesome videos’: social media pushes distressing news to children, experts say

Survey by Internet Matters finds children being left worried and upset by content showing shootings, stabbings and war

More than half of children who get news from social media are left worried and upset after seeing content that involves war, violence and death, according to new research that found social media companies are pushing" distressing news to children who are not seeking it.

Videos of the murder of Charlie Kirk, the Liverpool parade car-ramming attack, scenes from wars, shootings, stabbings and car crashes have recently been pushed into children's feeds, research by Internet Matters, an online safety organisation, has found. As a result, 39% of those who saw distressing content described themselves as very or extremely upset and worried by it.