Abstract
Children today are growing up in a world where media exposure is constant, and global crises are increasingly visible through screens. This paper examines how media coverage of crises, such as wars, disasters, and pandemics, affects children’s anxiety and development. Drawing on psychological and communication theories, it identifies why children are especially vulnerable. Early screen exposure disrupts sensory processing and emotional regulation, while age and dependence on adults limit coping strategies. Through social learning, children imitate fear and distress from media, and social inequality heightens these risks. Mechanisms such as sensory overload and secondary trauma explain how indirect crisis exposure produces anxiety and post-traumatic stress-like symptoms. These effects appear in both emotional development, where children show heightened fear and withdrawal, and in social cognition, where distorted worldviews and stereotypes form. To reduce harm, the paper suggests practical solutions: stricter media content regulation, school-based media literacy, family guidance, and accessible mental health support. Future research should compare age groups, track long-term outcomes, and examine how different media restrictions affect children’s responses and mental health. Together, these insights stress that media exposure to global crises is not only about information transfer but also about children’s mental health and resilience.
Keywords: Media exposure, Childhood anxiety, Global crises, Sensory overload, Secondary trauma
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