Abstract
BACKGROUND: The ongoing conflict in Gaza has led to a surge in acute stress among individuals who are exposed to distressing images and videos daily via social media. AIM: This study aimed to examine the impact of watching Gaza news footage on social media among Jordanian adolescents, and explore the experiences of watching Gaza news footage on social media from the perspective of adolescents. METHODS: An explanatory mixed methods design was conducted from 10/10/2023 until 6/11/2023, undertaken at two government high schools in Jordan. The Perceived Stress Scale was used to survey 180 Jordanian students who watched Gaza news footage on social media. Then the students who had high stress levels were interviewed. RESULTS: 180 students participated in this study, more than half of them were male (52.2%). The quantitative findings showed that the students experienced high stress levels, with a mean score of 3.78 (SD = 1.24). 70% of students reported high levels of stress, the amount of time spent watching news footage about the Gaza attack on social media each day, and the presence of social support from family or peers are significantly linked to stress levels (p < 0.05). The qualitative findings revealed the following themes: Extreme Emotional Responses, Sources of Stressors and Impact of Stress Extreme Emotional Responses, Sources of Stressors and Impact of Stress. CONCLUSION: Study findings revealed high stress levels among adolescents after watching Gaza news on social media, highlighting the need for interventions in the context of the three major themes revealed in the study.