War Coverage

The relentless bombardment of war-related footage on tv screens has stressed out viewers. Audiences all around the globe have been complaining of sleepless nights and even guilt in some extreme cases.

Television coverage of the war on Iraq is considered to be the most graphic to date. Embedded reporters have been relaying news live, creating a sports-like atmosphere, thereby keeping the viewer glued to the screen in the hope of catching some sensational news.

The graphic images of booming guns and mutilated bodies have affected even apparently stable people. German psychologist Hildegard Adler says, "We are all sensitive to a greater or lesser degree.' The unsettling reactions of adults to the vivid violence on the screen have affected children as well. Many psychologists advocate that children below seven years should not be allowed to watch the hostilities on television.

The conflict in Iraq has also caused many adults to brood on their own wartime experiences. Rita El-Khayat, a Morocco-based expert in child psychology, says she is reminded of the turbulent period in her childhood when Morocco was struggling for independence from France. The intense war coverage could desensitise viewers to violence or even stoke their aggressive instincts, say experts.