Footage from the traffic stop that precipitated the death of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols is expected to be released by Memphis police sometime after 6 p.m. CST Friday, officials said.
Nichols died on Jan. 10, three days after a traffic stop near his mother’s home and following what Memphis police called a “confrontation.” Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said Nichols sustained “serious injuries.” Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis called the incident “heinous, reckless and inhumane.”
Five Memphis police officers were fired and later charged and jailed in Nichols’ death. All five face a second-degree murder charge, among others.
Nichols’ death has drawn national attention, along with calls for a federal investigation into the Memphis Police Department.
Officials, along with members of the Nichols family, who have seen the footage have warned that it is violent and difficult to watch. Research shows viewing violent or graphic footage images and videos on social media can be especially traumatic for some and take a toll on mental health.
Here are a few practical tips and guidelines on how to manage your online feeds as more developments come in the wake of Nichols’ death.
LIVE UPDATES:Memphis to release footage of traffic stop that led to death of Tyre Nichols
FAMILY RESPONDS:Tyre Nichols’ family, lawyer Ben Crump speak after seeing ‘appalling’ footage from arrest
Mental health expert: It’s OK not to watch the video, take a break, ask for support
Avoiding graphic, violent or disturbing images surrounding Nichols’ death may stir feelings of guilt in some, but engaging these kinds of images can cause secondary trauma to the person watching, said Amanda Bracht, a licensed clinical social worker who also helps lead the Mental Health Cooperative in Nashville.
“Choosing not to view these types of images can be a positive coping skill for some people to utilize to protect their own mental health,” Bracht said. “If they do decide to watch the video or ongoing news coverage, it would be best to watch with someone who they are comfortable with being vulnerable around. Watching in isolation can be more detrimental.”
It’s best not to repeatedly view disturbing videos or images, Bracht said. Taking breaks from electronics and social media can also help, even if it’s just for 10 to 20 minutes at a time.
If you feel overwhelmed, need support or just want a safe space to talk, Bracht said you should reach out to a trusted person in your support network like a family member, friend, clergy member or counselor. If you are having thoughts of self-harm or rage, you can access mental health services by calling 988, she added.
988 is a nationwide emergency number for individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis.
OFFICIALS REACT TO FOOTAGE:FBI director ‘appalled’ by Tyre Nichols traffic stop video, ‘disturbing’ says Garland
How to block words, manage comments on social media
This is not an exhaustive list of all the content moderation and privacy options offered across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.
For the latest information and additional help, visit these links:
Facebook offers a way to block up to 1,000 keywords in any language, including words, phrases or emojis, from appearing on your Facebook profile. It can also block you from seeing posts you’re tagged in that include those keywords. However, there’s no way to block those keywords from appearing in your Facebook news feed.
You can also control what tagged posts appear on your profile, including adding an approval option. Read more from the Facebook Help Center on how to block keywords on your Facebook page.
Facebook only allows comments to be turned off on public posts, but not on posts set to “friends,” “private” or a customized audience. To turn off comments on a public post, click the three-dot icon at the top right, select “Who can comment on this post?” and then click “profiles and pages you mention.” Outside of anyone tagged in the post, comments will be disabled. Keep in mind that the post will still show up publicly on your feed.
You can also hide, delete or report comments on all Facebook posts, private or otherwise. Click the three-dot icon at the top right over a comment and select the option you want.
Twitter offers ways to mute specific words, phrases, usernames, emojis and hashtags. Once muted, they will be removed from your notifications, push alerts, SMS alerts, email notifications, home timeline and replies. However, it will not exclude them from the Twitter search function. Read the Twitter Help Center article to learn more about how to use the mute function. The platform also offers ways to filter sensitive media. Learn more about it here.
You can also limit who can reply to your Twitter posts by click the three-dot icon at the top right of the post and selecting “change who can reply.” However, this does not stop people from retweeting or quote tweeting your post.
You can also mute or block specific users by clicking the three-dot icon over one of their tweets or at the top of the profile page and selecting the appropriate option from the drop-down menu.
If you want to disable auto-play on videos and GIFs in your feed, you can click your profile icon then go to “settings and support,” then “settings and privacy” and select “accessibility, display, and language.” From there, select “data usage,” then “video auto-play” and set it to “never.” Keep in mind you may need to re-enable this function if you recently deleted and redownloaded the app or have been logged out for a period of time.
Instagram offers multiple ways to filter, block or manage comments. You can also block or restrict specific users. However, there is no clear-cut way to block specific keywords from your Instagram feed or search page. Privacy settings can be found by tapping your profile photo, then the three-line icon at the top right. Navigate to “settings,” then “privacy” for a list of options. You can also set your account to private.
To turn off comments on a specific post, click the three-dot icon at the top right of the post and select “turn off commenting.” You can also modify other privacy settings there.
TikTok
TikTok offers a few controls over content preferences, including filtering videos with specific keywords and a “restricted mode” feature that limits videos that may be inappropriate. You can find these options by going to your profile page, clicking the three-line icon at the top, selecting “settings and privacy” and then clicking “content preferences.” You can also set your account to private by navigating from “settings and privacy” to the “privacy” tab.
Videos can also be set to private, friends only or public before posting. The same settings apply to commenting, stiches and duets. If you want to modify privacy and comment settings on a video that’s already been posted, click the three-dot icon at the bottom of the video and scroll right to “privacy settings” for options.
Can I block words or specific content on Google search?
Google search offers advanced search options that can filter, exclude or refine search results. Read more about refining web search from this Google Support article. You can also turn on “Safe Search,” which blocks explicit content like pornography, violence and gore from search results. Read more about how to use Google’s Safe Search option here.