Social Media War Content Raises Concerns About AI Fakes and Mental Health Impact

Social media platforms have become flooded with images, videos, and stories about the war in Iran, raising dual concerns about content authenticity and psychological impact. Experts warn that distinguishing between genuine footage and artificial intelligence-generated content has become increasingly difficult for average users, creating a perfect storm of misinformation and anxiety.

At the Milwaukee School of Engineering, Professor Derek Riley, who directs the computer science program and specializes in artificial intelligence, regularly identifies telltale signs of fabricated content. While analyzing an AI-generated video purportedly showing a bombing in Iran, Riley pointed out subtle inconsistencies.

“I’m seeing the building move too quickly,” Riley noted, highlighting one of many indicators that trained professionals use to spot fakes. However, he acknowledged that most social media users lack this specialized knowledge.

“I think we basically can’t trust that anything we see, videos, images, unless it’s real life,” Riley cautioned. “I don’t think we can trust that it actually happened.”

This pervasive uncertainty adds another dimension to the already significant psychological toll of consuming war-related content. Mental health professionals at Rogers Behavioral Health in West Allis are observing increased cases of what psychologists term “secondary trauma” – emotional distress resulting from exposure to others’ suffering, even from a distance.

Heather Jones, Chief Clinical Officer at Rogers, explained the psychological mechanism behind this phenomenon: “We feel kind of powerless and helpless in a lot of ways. Sometimes things are happening in our communities, sometimes they’re happening overseas, and there isn’t anything, or there’s maybe a feeling that there’s nothing we can do about it.”

According to Jones, research indicates that even brief exposure to threatening news content – regardless of its authenticity – can trigger measurable increases in anxiety and depression. Just 15 minutes of viewing disturbing content can elevate stress hormones and negatively impact mental wellbeing.

“What is different about today is that threats are available to us 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Jones said, highlighting how the constant accessibility of social media has fundamentally changed our relationship with global events.

The combination of potentially fabricated content with real tragedy creates a uniquely modern problem. Users may experience genuine emotional reactions to events that never occurred, while simultaneously becoming desensitized to actual suffering. This blurring of reality threatens both our information ecosystem and collective mental health.

Mental health professionals recommend practical steps to mitigate these effects. Jones suggests implementing digital boundaries, such as “putting your phone down 30 minutes before bed, reading or journaling. Writing down five things that you’re grateful for.”

From a media literacy perspective, Riley emphasizes critical thinking as the best defense against misinformation. “I think you have to look at what you’re seeing and think for yourself: ‘Is this real? Do I trust it? What’s the source?’ You have to ask all those questions.”

Social media companies have implemented reporting systems for AI-generated content that violates their policies, though critics argue these measures remain insufficient given the volume and sophistication of today’s fake content. Riley encourages users to report harmful or deceptive AI content to platform moderators.

As AI-generated content becomes increasingly sophisticated, distinguishing truth from fiction will require both individual vigilance and institutional safeguards. Meanwhile, mental health experts continue to emphasize the importance of balanced media consumption during times of global conflict.