WASHINGTON (7News) — As you scroll through social media, you’ve seen videos showing racial violence. If it’s on your feed, it’s on your kid’s feed. And it’s mixed in with dance videos, pictures of their friends, and celebrities.

“We know that kids and teens spend a lot of time online. The Pew Research Center reported all U.S. teens are online daily and almost half are online constantly,” said Dr. Ashley Maxie-Moreman.

7News’ Adrianna Hopkins asked a children’s national hospital clinical psychologist how this impacts a developing brain. Does it trivialize the seriousness of racial violence or traumatize kids?

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Dr. Ashley Maxie-Moreman said it’s a double-edged sword because while these videos bring awareness, they negatively impact Black and brown kids – causing anxiety and invasive thoughts. As a parent, start by asking how these videos make them feel.

“Really just listening and validating. So not talking about yourself in response to their answer. Really creating a safe space and reflecting what you’ve heard. So saying something like “I can see why you feel numb after watching that. we see so much violence it becomes hard to process it. What other thoughts or feelings might you be having about this?” said Dr. Maxie-Moreman.

She also said it’s important to keep up with the latest laws and regulations surrounding social media and advocate for stricter guidelines for younger children.

“We certainly can’t monitor our kids. There’s too much time in the day and they’re online too much. One: advocating for better regulatory guidelines on social media platforms to prevent things like automatic play on social media,” said Dr. Maxie-Moreman.