Abstract

The study aimed to identify the link between emotional contagion and indirect trauma that could occur when contacting SNS information related to the Itaewon disaster (10.29) and to seek solutions to problems that could effectively solve indirect trauma. For this purpose, a survey was conducted using a scale that could measure attachment styles, social media emotional contagion, and indirect trauma caused by the Itaewon disaster. A total of 211 Korean adults were surveyed. According to results of this study, first, anxiety-attachment had significant and positive correlations with SNS emotional contagion and indirect trauma. However, avoidance-attachment had a significant negative correlation with SNS emotional contagion, although it was unrelated to indirect trauma. Second, anxiety-attachment increased the level of indirect trauma through SNS emotional contagion, while high avoidance-attachment decreased the level of SNS emotional contagion and indirect trauma as a result of confirming the mediating effect of SNS emotional contagion according to attachment styles. These results suggest that individuals with a high anxiety-attachment style are more likely to be emotionally contagious after encountering a traumatic event through SNS and eventually experience indirect trauma. On the other hand, in the case of avoidance-attachment, it means that the level of SNS emotional contagion and indirect trauma can be lowered by avoiding related emotions even when contacting trauma through SNS. These results can be used as a basis to provide prevention and psychotherapeutic intervention for indirect trauma not only for those who have contacted the Itaewon disaster through SNS, but also for those who have experienced various catastrophic events through SNS.