Stubbs, JoshuaNicklin, Laura LouiseWilsdon, LukeLloyd, Joanne2022-06-242022-06-242022-07-07Stubbs, J., Nicklin, L., Wilsdon, L. & LLoyd, J. (2024) Investigating the experience of viewing extreme real-world violence online: naturalistic evidence from an online discussion forum, New Media and Society, 26(7), pp. 3876-38941461-444810.1177/14614448221108451http://hdl.handle.net/2436/624805This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by Sage in New Media and Society on 07/07/2022, available online: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/14614448221108451 The accepted version of the publication may differ from the final published version.This study investigates the psychological impact of viewing user-generated content depicting extreme real-world violence. Eight threads were harvested from publicly accessible online discussion forums in which people 17 discussed their experiences of witnessing real-world torture, maiming, or death online. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to systematically analyse these threads. The themes capture the contradictory ways in which people react to viewing extreme real-world violence online, with some finding it intensely distressing and others using it as a resource for psychological grounding or (perceived) strengthening. Based on this analysis, we highlight pathways that may lead to the cessation or continuation of viewing such content and argue that greater research on this seemingly common but under-studied experience is warranted.application/pdfenuser-generated contentextreme violencereal-world violenceSocial Mediapsychological distressQualitativeJournal article1461-7315New Media and Society2022-06-23