[Together We Overcome] "Children Should Avoid Watching Accident News and Videos Whenever Possible"

Kindergarten Halloween Event Canceled... Condolence Notice Sent to Elementary Schools
Concerns Over Secondary Harm to Children Exposed to Accident News
"Prompt and Strong Blocking of Sensational Videos Needed"... Parents' Role Crucial for Children's Mental Health

On the 1st, a citizen is paying tribute with flowers at the 'Itaewon Disaster' memorial space in front of Exit 1 of Itaewon Station, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Editor's NoteIn the face of a national disaster with a large number of casualties, many people?including the bereaved families, the injured, rescue personnel, witnesses at the scene, and citizens who watched the situation through photos or videos?are struggling to recover from the shock. Since this major tragedy occurred in an extremely ordinary space, it is expected that it will take some time for everyone to find peace of mind and overcome feelings of anxiety, fear, and guilt. Asia Economy will take an in-depth look over three installments at how our society can embrace this pain and overcome it together.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] On the evening of the 30th of last month, when news of the Itaewon tragedy broke, parent A, who has a 7-year-old kindergartener, received a notice from the kindergarten. The Halloween party scheduled for the 31st was canceled, and parents were asked to refrain from having their children wear Halloween costumes to school. The child, who had been excited for days buying Halloween items like a cape and candy basket, was suddenly disappointed. A comforted the child by saying, “Many people who went to the Halloween party were seriously injured, so all other kindergartens have canceled their parties.” The child, watching the TV news, said they had learned about it at kindergarten and laid a large doll on the floor to demonstrate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) moves.

B, a fifth-grade elementary school student, received safety education for about 10 minutes immediately after arriving at school on Monday morning, postponing the first period class. Following the homeroom teacher’s explanation, students crossed their arms and stretched their arms forward to secure space in front of their chest. They were also taught how to avoid suffocation in crowded places and to roll their bodies to the side to protect themselves if they fall. B’s mother said, “After learning survival swimming and earthquake/fire evacuation drills at school, now they are even receiving training to prevent crush injuries. It will definitely help with safety, but it feels unsettling.”

Amid many citizens reporting psychological trauma from the Itaewon tragedy, children have become a ‘blind spot.’ Experts point out that children may suffer additional harm unknowingly through exposure to accident videos. Professor Shin Euijin of the Department of Child Psychiatry at Severance Hospital expressed concern, saying, “Children’s personalities are not yet fully developed, and they are greatly influenced by their surroundings. Indirect experiences through videos can cause secondary and tertiary trauma.”

On social networking service (SNS) platforms widely used by teenagers, such as TikTok and Instagram, many short-form videos showing the situation at the time of the accident have been uploaded. While quick action is possible on domestic platforms, it is difficult to block access on platforms operated by foreign companies. Professor Shin emphasized, “Children who hear about the accident are likely to search for videos out of curiosity. Strong and swift blocking of videos containing horrific scenes is an urgent priority.”

Even relatively curated news videos can have similarly negative effects on children. Exposure to accident-related content alone can lead to indirect trauma. The Korean Medical Association recommended in a statement that “community mental health monitoring is necessary for adults, especially youth, exposed to broadcast reports and unfiltered SNS information.”

To prevent children from suffering trauma, the role of parents is paramount. If a child talks about the accident at home, parents should not block the conversation but rather empathize, allowing the child to comfortably express their emotions and thoughts, and respond calmly and clearly to questions rather than criticizing. Instead of letting children watch the news alone, parents should watch together to provide accurate information and regulate excessive exposure. Since children also absorb stress when parents are stressed, it is important for parents to show a healthy demeanor.