Here’s how to help kids deal with current events — and the sometimes violent imagery they bring

NEW YORK, 9/12/25 – In hardly any time at all, the footage of the horrifying moment when a bullet hit conservative activist Charlie Kirk in the neck cascaded across the internet.

Whether seeing it inadvertently or seeking it out, onlookers far from the crowd at a Utah college could be exposed to disturbingly close and potentially bloody glimpses of his shooting and the resulting chaos. It’s the product of a digital-first world where the presence of smartphones and social media makes current events readily accessible and often, practically unavoidable.