When hate speech becomes trauma: how online abuse deepens war’s wounds

In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks, many Israelis faced not only the trauma of war but also a surge of online hate. A new study from the Hebrew University finds that frequent exposure to such digital vitriol is linked to higher PTSD symptoms, especially for those who struggle to regulate their emotions, underscoring how today’s conflicts can wound both on the battlefield and on the screen.

[Hebrew University of Jerusalem]– In the chaotic weeks after Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, social media feeds in the country filled with grim images of violence — and, for many users, a torrent of anti-Israel and antisemitic abuse.

Now, a sweeping new study from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem suggests that exposure to that online hate may have left psychological scars. The research, led by Dr. Dvora Shmulewitz, Head of Epidemiological Research at the Israel Center for Addiction and Mental Health at the Hebrew University, under the supervision of Prof. Mario Mikulincer, found that frequent encounters with hate speech on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X were strongly linked to higher rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, even after accounting for direct exposure to the attacks, ongoing war, and prior mental health problems.

“This isn’t just about offensive language,” Dr. Shmulewitz said. “Online hate can act as a form of digital terror — exacerbating the effects of trauma or even functioning as a traumatic event itself.”

The study surveyed nearly 4,000 Jewish Israeli adults two months after the attacks, using standardized clinical tools to measure PTSD symptoms. About 25 percent of respondents met the screening threshold for probable PTSD. Roughly 39 percent reported encountering hate speech online at least once a week since the war began.

Even after controlling for war-zone exposure, problematic technology use, and pre-existing psychiatric conditions, each standard deviation increase in reported hate speech exposure was associated with a 2.2-point rise in PTSD scores — a statistically significant jump.

The effects were even more pronounced among those who reported difficulty managing their emotions. “For people with high emotion dysregulation, the link between hate speech and PTSD was considerably stronger,” Prof. Mikulincer noted, suggesting that certain individuals are especially vulnerable to psychological harm from online hostility.

The findings raise questions about the role of tech companies, policymakers, and mental health professionals in mitigating harm. Public health experts have long warned about the ubiquity of online hate and its potential to damage well-being. The authors argue that interventions could range from AI-based moderation tools to public awareness campaigns, alongside clinical screening for patients in conflict zones who may be absorbing both real-world and digital trauma.

“This study should be a wake-up call,” Dr. Shmulewitz said. “We can’t assume that what happens online stays online. For many, the emotional impact is deeply real — and deeply damaging.”

The research was published in Scientific Reports and underscores a sobering reality of modern conflict: the battlefield is not only physical but also digital, and the wounds it leaves can be invisible.