Kill Your Television?

On the first anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, many people are deciding to watch or not watch media coverage. Television, newspapers, 9/11 and grief.

By Colin Allen, published on September 01, 2002

Vivid images seen a year ago have returned with the first anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks. The question is: Is it healthy to revisit 9/11 through television and newspapers? Or is it better to turn off the TV and keep the paper on the driveway?

"This was inevitable," says Stuart Fischoff, Ph.D., professor of psychology at California State University. "Human beings are a commemorating species." Unlike the improvised coverage following last September 11, the current anniversary coverage has been prepared to help viewers commiserate on this September 11.

Watching anniversary coverage can be healthy for many people, but Stewart warns that there can be too much of a good thing. "It's going to be hurtful if people overdose," says Fischoff. "You just have to know what to watch and when to pull back." Over-emersion can be unhealthy, especially for people who have deep emotional connection to the events. "You need some kind of distance to separate yourself from the screen," says Fischoff.