Research on mental distress during crises has highlighted the significant psychological impact on populations, yet the role of social media in shaping well-being during such events remains underexplored. This study examines the relationship between social media engagement and trauma levels among adolescents and young adults during crises such as terror attacks and war, distinguishing between "distressing" content (e.g., violent images, kidnappings) and "encouraging" content (e.g., hostage releases, reunions, morale-boosting songs). A total of 505 participants (45% adolescents, 55% young adults) completed online questionnaires assessing demographics, wartime exposure, social media engagement, and trauma levels. Regression analyses revealed that engagement with distressing, but also with encouraging social media content was linked to increased trauma symptoms, even after controlling for demographics and direct exposure to terror or war events. Notably, women reported higher trauma levels than men, and surprisingly, young adults experienced greater trauma than adolescents. Experiencing nearby missile strikes was also a significant predictor of higher trauma levels. These findings fill a crucial gap by underscoring the harmful role of social media in influencing trauma during crises. Understanding the nuanced impacts of both distressing and encouraging content can inform strategies to mitigate trauma. Mental health professionals should consider the dual-edged nature of social media engagement when designing support mechanisms for affected populations. This is an open access article under the terms of the http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes. ABSTRACT Research on mental distress during crises has highlighted the significant psychological impact on populations, yet the role of social media in shaping well‐being during such events remains underexplored. While social media role in crisis communication has been increasingly recognized, there has been a lack of empirical research exploring the association A recent meta‐analysis involving 31,842 participants examined the impact of social media on collective trauma in the Middle East. Findings revealed a strong association between intensive social media use and heightened collective trauma, underscoring digital media's role as a key amplifier of psychological responses to conflict (Nasution et al. 2025 ). Graphic images of war circulated on social media can profoundly impact individuals' psychological well‐being. The fear and uncertainty generated by conflicts are likely to leave lasting marks on the mental health of people worldwide, whether directly affected by the conflict or observing from a distance. ( 2022 ), billions worldwide closely monitor developments in this conflict, primarily through social media and news outlets, often expressing feelings of powerlessness in response. Prolonged exposure to such helplessness poses a significant risk for depression and other psychological disturbances, a concern heightened by the ongoing global challenges following 2 years of pandemic‐related stress (Plomecka et al. 2021 ). Moreover, among young adults during a period of escalated violence in the West Bank of Palestine, posttraumatic symptoms were higher in individuals with patterns of higher frequency and interactivity of social media use (Mahamid and Berte 2020 ). Research Question and Hypotheses During crises, social media can play an encouraging role by helping communities self‐organize, share critical information, and connect with others (Bruns 2020 ; Eitan and Gazit 2021 ). At the same time, engagement may also be harmful, intensifying distress and trauma (S. Eden et al. 2023 ; C. Liu and Liu 2020 ). Despite growing recognition of its dual role, little empirical research has examined how social media use during crises relates to individuals' emotional responses, such as trauma. Only few studies have examined the psychological implications of internet use during wartime, especially concerning exposure to violent and distressing content. Responses were on a Likert scale from one to six, where 1 = lowest level of exposure and 6 = highest level of exposure. Different media platforms were distinguished, as they differ in immediacy, emotional intensity, and engagement patterns, and may therefore have differential psychological effects. Engagement with encouraging versus distressing content (based on Bronstein et al. 2016 ): The questionnaire relates to the frequency of engagement in social media activities (WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, Telegram, Facebook, etc.). This aligns with existing literature that suggests women are more likely to experience higher levels of psychological distress and trauma in response to adverse events, such as pandemic (Hou et al. 2020 ) or war (e.g., Ainamani et al. 2020 ). In addition, women are regarded as vulnerable populations in war settings (Manzanero et al. 2021 ). Among war refugees, women experience high rates of depression and other mental‐health problems (Braun‐Lewensohn et al. 2019 ). They also reported greater exposure to family violence and sexual abuse, while men reported more exposure to past war trauma, such as torture, combat, and imprisonment. Conducting the survey during a period of heightened media use and distress may have further influenced responses, as participants could have experienced fatigue, distraction, or emotional reactivity. These factors suggest caution in interpreting the findings and highlight the need for future studies to combine self‐reports with complementary methods. The findings of this research elucidate factors influencing exposure to and the impact of war‐related content on levels of trauma, as well as the coping mechanisms employed by individuals. Based on these insights, we recommend several interventions.