The Pain Upon Awakening: A Grounded Theory Study of AI-Generated Videos and Childhood Trauma Memories in Youth

The application of AI generation technology in reanimation images evokes users’ deep emotional experiences, especially childhood trauma memories, by dynamically presenting past scenes and characters. Exploring the coping mechanisms of users’ emotions and behaviors in this process and their influencing factors helps to understand the interaction law between technology and emotions, and provides theoretical basis and practical guidance for optimizing technology design and psychological intervention strategies. In this study, 20 young users were interviewed in depth, and data were analyzed through open coding, spindle coding, and selective coding using programmed rooting theory. Combined with the SOR model, a model of the influencing factors of users’ emotional coping was constructed. Emotional fluctuation and emotional resonance are the two core emotional responses when users watch the resuscitation images. External stimuli triggered emotional fluctuations, and users formed emotional coping strategies through cognitive assessment and technological trust. It was found that users mainly adopt three strategies, namely emotional regulation, emotional release and emotional recovery, to alleviate emotional fluctuations and promote emotional repair. In addition, emotional attachment and trust behaviors play an important moderating role in this process, and users gradually form an adaptive emotion management model, which provides a stable behavioral path for interaction with technology.