Making the personal choice on whether or not to watch violent videos

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - On Friday, Jan. 27, authorities released video showing five Memphis police officers brutally beating Tyre Nichols, which lead to his death three days later.

The video was released with a warning that it is graphic and can be difficult for many to watch. This may leave you asking yourself, should I watch this?

Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Josh Klapow, said there is no right or wrong answer to this question. He recommends you take time to make the decision on why or why not you may want to watch it, and set boundaries for your mental health.

If the nature of the video can be triggering for you, you can stay engaged with the moment by reading transcripts or summaries of the video.

If you decide to watch it, Klapow said it could trigger past traumas or leave you with overwhelming feelings of anxiety.

“The intensity of emotions that can come from this, not just from watching, but to someone’s personal experiences or generational experiences are very much a likelihood. Even though you feel as if you’re ready, you may experience emotions that are overwhelming,” said Klapow.

If you decide to watch the video and realize the intensity is too much, it’s okay to press pause and come back, or not finish the video at all.

“If you decide you want to watch the video, start the video. Monitor how you’re doing. We each have our own sort of personal threshold, and I believe that if you feel that it is so disturbing that you just can’t watch it anymore, turn it off.”

If you would like to watch the video, it can be found here.

Get news alerts in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store or subscribe to our email newsletter here.

Copyright 2023 WBRC. All rights reserved.