How common would you expect (real life) gore watching to be?

[noname223]

I think this is a difficult question.
When reading SaSu posts you would assume it isn't that rare.
I think one probably has to differentiate between accidental clicks on it, short and temporary morbid curiosity, frequent massive consume and many more subtypes.

I am really not sure. I grew up when ISIS post these beheadings. And newspapers showed censored versions of it. There were some other censored videos on mainstream platforms. You could even find some of them on Youtube. And I think you still can. But after short exposition I also watched videos on liveleak. I was a teenager, suicidal. had no one to talk to, and craved for death due to the abuse I experienced.

I am very glad I quit watching this stuff. It was toxic for my mental health. And I considered it sort of unethical because the shown people never consented (in most cases). I think if possible better coping mechanisms should be tried.

In my college self-help group I suspected someone to watch gore. And later he admitted it. He never had serious mental health issues but I also wonder whether the consumption had a good impact on him. He had a very questionable stance on school shooters. But I think watching gore also really depends on the motives. If it is just done out of boredom or curiosity I finde it harder to defend.

I once was in a training. And I think a co-worker watched gore on reddit for fun. And I really judged her for that. I even alluded to it that I dislike such behavior.

I think people who are chronically online are probably more prone to it. People who use Tiktok told me there are many disturbing clips shown. YOu can get PTSD from watching gore. There are factors that make you more prone to it. And for it sounded like I was in the group of possibly getting traumatiized. Indicators were for example how much you empathize or imagine yourself to be in that situation. Something suprised me. Health care workers who see really bad injuries also have a significant higher likelihood to develop PTSD.

 

[counterstrikeglobal]

I was introduced to gore in 5th grade when I was maybe 10-11, Unfortunately that same kid showed me pornographic material which I almost consider in the same kind of effect as watching gore. I got desensitized to watching that stuff really early and it made me a miserable person, it was hard to feel bad for people when I heard of their loved ones passing, stuff like that. I don't think its normal to watch it and its there for people who want to see people die because they get dopamine or it shocks them in a good way. But in my experience I've only met one guy who watches that stuff and it was the same kid who showed it to me in 5th grade.

 

[LastNite]

It's better to not fear it than to fear it. ISIS was spreading so many brutal beheadings and executions to instill fear in the hearts of their enemies and anyone who dares stand up to them. It does make you depressed if you're normal, but it does have some benefits. You're less likely to panic when you're in a sticky situation and when someone is bleeding. People who have never seen huge amounts of blood irl tend to freeze which is normal but not something youd want to do in a time where you got no time do that.

 

[aoseno perpetuo]

watching it isnt the same as supporting what is happening in the videos. it will happen regardless if you watch it or not. so ill watch any death whenever i fucking want. do not imply anyone who watches ISIS executions or cartel beheadings has any sort of stake in those killings.

 

[noname223]

watching it isnt the same as supporting what is happening in the videos. it will happen regardless if you watch it or not. so ill watch any death whenever i fucking want. do not imply anyone who watches ISIS executions or cartel beheadings has any sort of stake in those killings.

I didn't imply that. But I think the people didn't consent that everyone can watch their death. And this fact is also very disturbing for loved ones. I read stories where people were shown the death of their loved ones involuntarily.

 

[ZwartHartje]

I can't see what's bad about gore when you can go to any supermarket and buy dead body parts and eat them. Myself I've fished dead bodies out of the lake at the park so the other animals wouldn't get ill from it with botulism. I've never understood how it's "different" when it's other species. Other animals are made of the very same parts as humans. There's the same spinal column, ribs, skull, organs, and the blood is red too, only the sizes and proportions are different.
So I've seen quite some real-life gore, involuntarily, mauled by dogs, victims of road traffic, or corpses scavenged by other animals. Watching gore of humans can be sort of "seeking a balance", seeing how these highly invasive creatures that cause so much harm and misery to other animals can die just the same as the others. When I do watch gore I've often fantasized that these things happen to those who'd so much deserve it, those who murdered my loved ones or other innocent animals.
I totally don't get speciesism. Having empathy for one's own species only and none for others, or at least much less for others.
I used to have a friend on Facebook, before I got permanently banned from there, who was exactly the same. She loved animals so much, signed petitions for them, she was vegan - and invited me to about a dozen hidden gore groups there. I accepted.