The Blogs: Digital Tech: Transgenerations Trauma Transmission

The Jewish WWII Holocaust is a unique genocide due to its unique intentions, methods, and ideological motivation. The Nazis’ explicit intention was to annihilate every Jew, everywhere, without exception, aiming for the global eradication of the Jewish people. This total, borderless extermination was carried out using modern industrial and bureaucratic means, including death camps, gas chambers, and meticulous record-keeping. The Holocaust was a state-sponsored, all-encompassing project, with the Nazis’ pseudo-scientific racial ideology framing Jews as an existential threat to the “Aryan race” and civilization itself. Beyond physical destruction, the Holocaust sought to erase millennia of Jewish teaching, history, and identity.

PTSD experienced by WWII Holocaust survivors is distinct from PTSD in modern conflicts or events like the October 7 attacks. Studies report rates of 46% to 55% in controlled samples and even higher (up to 91.8% in those with comorbid psychiatric illness). Holocaust survivors are at increased risk for comorbid psychiatric conditions, including depression, late-life paranoia, and psychotic disorders, which can complicate PTSD symptoms and treatment. Many Holocaust survivors experience profound guilt, shame, and survivor’s guilt, struggling with existential questions about why they survived while others did not.

The Holocaust’s trauma has profoundly impacted subsequent generations through psychological and biological mechanisms. Digital technologies have revolutionized how this trauma is remembered, shared, and processed, making historical trauma more accessible and relatable to younger generations. Online communities provide support, foster collective identity, and enable identity transformation by connecting descendants with shared histories and cultural legacies. However, digital technologies also raise ethical concerns about privacy, misrepresentation, and the potential for re-traumatization through exposure to graphic content or online hate.

This paper explores the multifaceted impact of digital technologies on the transmission of Holocaust trauma, examining both the opportunities and challenges they present.

From Silence to Sharing: Breaking the Taboo of Trauma.

Holocaust trauma was often characterized by silence within families and communities, leading to isolation and repression among descendants. Digital platforms, particularly social media, have played a crucial role in breaking this silence by enabling survivors and their descendants to share personal narratives and foster open dialogue about traumatic histories. Facebook groups like “The Holocaust and My Family” and “The Descendants of the Victims and Survivors of the Holocaust” have become central to trauma processing, providing a space for individuals to connect with others who share similar histories.

Facebook groups help break taboos of silence by enabling open sharing of personal and family Holocaust stories, unblocking previously inaccessible avenues to the past and supporting individual and collective trauma processing. They provide a supportive environment where members can connect, feel understood, and gain recognition for their experiences. The act of sharing and responding to posts helps reconstruct trauma narratives and reintegrate individuals into a community, which are important steps in trauma recovery.

The collective sharing and discussion in these digital spaces contribute to the modernization and transformation of Jewish identity and collective memory, making them more dynamic and inclusive. Online groups offer accessibility and anonymity, allowing participants to withdraw at any time. However, emotional intensity, conflict, risk of trivialization or misunderstanding, ethical and privacy concerns, and uneven support may arise. While Facebook groups are powerful tools for breaking silence, building community, and processing trauma, they also come with challenges related to emotional safety, privacy, and the complexities of online interaction.

Connective & Collaborative Memory.

Digital media facilitate what scholars call “connective memory,” where individual and collective memories are interwoven through interactive platforms and algorithms. This concept is significant because it allows for a more dynamic and participatory form of memory transmission, where individuals can contribute to and engage with a shared historical narrative. Projects that reimagine Holocaust stories for the digital age exemplify this connective memory.

The Eva Stories Instagram project, created and produced by Israeli tech entrepreneur Mati Kochavi and his daughter Maya Kochavi, adapts the real diary of Eva Heyman into a series of 70 Instagram stories, launching the project on May 1, 2019, to coincide with Holocaust Remembrance Day. The project was filmed in Ukraine by ColorFilm and the Israeli company POV Shahar Segal Productions. The Eva Stories Instagram project, presents a historical narrative as if experienced in today’s digital environment, making the past more relatable and accessible to younger generations. This project adapts the real diary of 13-year-old Holocaust victim Eva Heyman into a series of Instagram “Stories,” presenting her life as if she had a smartphone and was documenting events in real time. Using short videos, photos, and text, the project immerses followers in Eva’s daily experiences-from family life to the Nazi invasion and her deportation to Auschwitz-mirroring the way young people share their lives today. Launched for Holocaust Memorial Day, Eva Stories quickly went viral, amassing hundreds of thousands of followers and millions of views worldwide, especially among younger audiences. This innovative approach makes the Holocaust more immediate and emotionally resonant for new generations, transforming Eva from a distant historical figure into a relatable, lifelike presence and sparking widespread conversation about Holocaust remembrance in the digital age.

Platforms like Yad Vashem’s Central Database and the USC Shoah Foundation’s Visual History Archive use advanced technologies—such as optical character recognition, machine translation, and recommendation systems—to make personal histories more accessible and discoverable. These platforms support individual family research and collective remembrance, ensuring that Holocaust survivors’ stories are preserved and shared with future generations. AI tools, such as image recognition and natural language processing, can quickly sift through millions of pages, photographs, and testimonies, extracting names, dates, places, and relationships that would be nearly impossible to find manually. This innovation not only accelerates the recovery of lost names and stories but also helps families reconnect with their histories and preserves the memories of Holocaust survivors for future generations.

VR technologies, particularly adaptive graded exposure methods, have shown promising results in treating PTSD. Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) creates controlled, immersive environments for patients to confront trauma safely, with success rates ranging from 66% to 90%. A meta-analysis found that VR-based graded exposure therapy (VR-GET) significantly reduces PTSD symptoms, outperforming conventional VRET. VR-GET’s advantage lies in its immersive, tailored approach, allowing gradual exposure and real-time monitoring, enhancing emotional engagement and symptom reduction. Other studies confirm VR therapy’s benefits in reducing PTSD symptoms, anxiety, depression, and improving quality of life, especially in first responders and veterans. VR therapy’s ability to recreate multi-sensory, symbolic trauma-related environments suggests potential for personalized treatment of complex trauma, such as Holocaust-related PTSD.

Emotional Resonance & Postmemory.

Digital storytelling, incorporating multimedia elements like photos, videos, and personal narratives, significantly heightens the emotional resonance of Holocaust remembrance for younger generations. The concept of “postmemory” describes how descendants of survivors form profound emotional connections to traumatic events they did not directly experience. Digital tools amplify this process by enabling immersive and affective engagement with historical materials. Digital storytelling allows descendants to experience a more visceral connection to their family histories, fostering a deeper understanding of the trauma their ancestors endured. This emotional resonance is crucial for the transmission of Holocaust memory, as it ensures that the stories of survivors continue to evoke empathy and understanding in future generations. Interactive technologies, such as AI-based virtual witnesses, further enhance this process by allowing users to engage directly with survivor testimonies, creating powerful emotional encounters and new forms of virtual witnessing. Digital media not only preserves Holocaust memory but also deepens its emotional impact across generations.

Community, Identity, and Transformation.

Online communities offer a platform for Holocaust survivors’ descendants to process trauma, support each other, and negotiate their identities. This process of identity negotiation is crucial for integrating traumatic histories into personal and collective narratives, allowing individuals to find meaning and purpose in their experiences. Groups like Continuing Generations and Second Generation Los Angeles provide opportunities for descendants to share stories, participate in educational and social programs, and build lasting relationships. These forums provide emotional support, address intergenerational trauma, and foster a sense of belonging. Public sharing and dialogue in these spaces aid individual healing and contribute to the ongoing transformation and modernization of Jewish identity. By connecting descendants through dialogue, storytelling, and cultural activities, these communities ensure that Holocaust memory remains a living, evolving part of Jewish identity and collective consciousness.

New Ethical and Psychological Challenges.

Digital technologies have revolutionized access to Holocaust memory, but they also present ethical and psychological challenges. These include handling sensitive data, retraumatization, and the risk of trivializing or distortion of traumatic histories. Platform design and moderation must be careful to ensure privacy and security, as personal stories of survivors and their descendants are shared on public platforms. The potential for retraumatization must also be considered, as individuals may be exposed to distressing content that triggers emotional responses. Platform designers and moderators must balance open dialogue with the protection of individuals’ well-being. Additionally, retraumatization can occur when testimonies are edited or shared widely, potentially triggering traumatic memories. Gamification and certain digital formats can trivialize traumatic histories, undermining their educational value. These challenges underscore the need for ongoing vigilance and updated ethical guidelines to preserve Holocaust memory with integrity and respect. Balancing open access to archives with protecting contributors from misuse, hate, or denialism remains a persistent dilemma.

Conclusively, Digital technologies have transformed the transmission of Holocaust trauma from silence to sharing, collaboration, and emotional resonance. These platforms preserve memories and empower new generations to process and integrate traumatic histories into their identities. However, they also present ethical and psychological challenges that require ongoing attention. As we navigate the digital age, it’s crucial to consider the implications of these technologies for Holocaust memory and trauma transmission. Fostering community engagement, dialogue, and data protection procedures can help preserve and access stories of Holocaust survivors with mindfulness and honor for future generations.

Citations:

https://www.instagram.com/eva.stories

https://www.timesofisrael.com/instagram-account-memorializing-holocaust-victim-reaches-over-120-million-views

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https://www.oneclub.org/articles/all/-view/eva-stories

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https://www.theedgemedia.org/the-holocaust-on-social-media/

https://archive.kyivpost.com/lifestyle/ukrainians-help-create-viral-eva-stories-that-bring-holocaust-victim-diary-to-instagram.html

https://aish.com/509366491