As Nepal recovers from the devastating flash floods, protecting children must also mean protecting them from repeated exposure to distressing images and videos online.

The devastating flash floods of August 26 in Bhotekoshi and Trishuli not only swept away homes, schools, roads and livelihoods. They also flooded our television screens, smartphones and social media feeds with distressing images of destruction, death and grief. For families in the affected areas, these images show a tragedy they have lived through. But children elsewhere are seeing them too. They are watching homes being swept away, bodies being recovered, people crying for their loved ones, and families desperately searching for those still missing.

This worries me as a child protection professional. I have spent more than three decades working in child protection, including leading responses during major emergencies. Through my work with leading international organisations, from the Indian Ocean tsunami response in Indonesia and Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar to the conflict in Darfur and the Boko Haram emergency in Nigeria, I have seen first-hand that children are often among those most deeply affected. While these emergencies were very different, one lesson has been common: for children, a crisis rarely ends when the immediate danger passes. Restoring their sense of safety can take much longer than the rescue operation.

Today, social media has added another dimension to this challenge. Disasters today spread beyond their immediate site. Disturbing videos can spread across TikTok, Facebook, YouTube and messaging groups within seconds. A child in Kathmandu, Pokhara or Biratnagar may see one flood video, then another on a different platform, followed by a more graphic clip shared by someone they know. After that, recommendation systems may keep showing similar content. Before long, the child may be seeing the same scenes of death, destruction and grief again and again. They may be far from the disaster, but the fear and distress can still feel very real.

Evidence suggests we should take this seriously. Research following the 9/11 attacks found an association between media exposure and post-traumatic stress symptoms among children who had not directly experienced the attacks, with television exposure particularly relevant among younger children. Research following the Boston Marathon bombing also found that greater internet exposure was associated with post-traumatic stress symptoms among young people, with 12- to 15-year-olds appearing particularly vulnerable.

This does not mean that every child who sees disturbing footage will develop psychological problems. Children respond differently. But repeated exposure can increase fear and distress, especially among younger children who may struggle to understand when and where a video was recorded or realise that the frightening footage appearing again is a replay of the same event.

They may begin asking: “Could this happen to our house? Will another flood come tonight? Are we safe?”

Parents may notice nightmares, difficulty sleeping, irritability, fear, withdrawal, or trouble concentrating. Some children may become unusually anxious about being separated from their parents or caregivers. We should not dismiss these reactions simply because the child was not physically present in the disaster area.

Preventing children from knowing about the disaster is not the solution. Children have the right to information, and trying to hide everything may create more confusion. What matters is how we communicate with them.

Ask children what they have seen online and what worries them. Listen to their concerns without immediately dismissing their fears. Give simple, truthful and age-appropriate information. Parents should avoid leaving graphic disaster coverage playing continuously on television. They should turn off autoplay where possible, use available content controls, and encourage children to move away from distressing content.

During emergency responses, I learnt how important ordinary routines can be for children. Eating together, going to school, sleeping at regular times, playing and spending time with trusted adults can help restore a sense of normality and safety.

The principles of Psychological First Aid are useful here; it is not about forcing children to describe frightening experiences, but about listening, helping them feel safe and calm, providing practical support, and protecting them from further harm. Sometimes a child does not need an adult to explain everything. They simply need an adult who will listen.

The responsibility cannot fall entirely on parents either. Journalists, content creators, influencers and social media users should think carefully before posting graphic images. There is an important difference between documenting a disaster in the public interest and turning human suffering into content.

We should be especially careful with images of bodies, seriously injured people, grieving families and distressed children. A child who has just survived a frightening event should not be pushed in front of a camera and repeatedly asked to describe the worst moment of their life.

Before posting a photograph or video, we should ask, “Does the public need to see this to understand what happened?” A family’s worst moment should not become permanent digital content simply because it attracts attention.

Technology companies also have their part to play. Children do not always choose what appears on their screens. Recommendation systems shape much of what they see, and watching one dramatic flood video can quickly lead to more similar content. Such companies should do more to identify graphic disaster content, provide effective warnings and age-appropriate protections, and prevent recommendation systems from repeatedly pushing distressing material to children.

I have long argued through my work in child online protection that safety should be built into digital services. We should not expect children to protect themselves from systems designed by some of the world’s most powerful technology companies.

Recovery is not only about rebuilding what was physically damaged. Children directly affected by the floods will need protection, family support, education, healthcare and psychosocial support. We should also remember the children who have been watching the disaster unfold repeatedly on their screens. They may need reassurance, guidance and protection from unnecessary exposure to distressing content.

As we continue to document this national tragedy, I hope journalists, content creators, technology companies, parents and social media users will pause before sharing graphic or distressing material and ask one simple question: Could this cause further harm to a child? Sometimes protecting a child can be as simple as deciding not to press ‘post’ or ‘share’.