By Sesa Graham and Heather Kittle
If you have been paying any attention to television, social media, newspapers, etc., you know just how immense the negative impact has been in the last two years when it comes to the news.
COVID-19 this, politics that and so on. I can count on one hand how many positive news stories I have read in the last two years because only the negative ones were making the Breaking News headlines.
The effects that negative news can leave on us were not nearly as harmful when our only news source was once from the newspaper, television, or radio. Now, we have smartphones, tablets, Alexa devices, etc., making it easy to stay in touch with the news more proficiently.
We are constantly plugged-in in one form or another. Everywhere you turn, there is news being shared. Need to Google something on your phone? Just scroll down a bit, and there’s some news for you, whether you want it or not. Think you’re safe on social media? I bet you already know your uncle’s political stance on social issues by now because of it. Heck, some of us even get alerts for breaking news stories on our phones.
But why is this? Why is negative news seen more than positive? Simple. Controversial news gets more viewers. Part of this is without a doubt to blame on news sources. But another is to blame on fundamental human nature. For one, consuming the right news at the right time can keep us safe. For example, it’s a better idea to keep an eye on a storm heading your direction than it would be to see a kid who saved a puppy from a well. In a way, it’s a survival instinct.
Mental health plays a crucial role in what you surround yourself with, whether environmentally or what’s happening on a screen in front of you. When you scroll through social media or watch the morning news, it might not seem like much at the time, but that information is being stored in your brain. You’re subconsciously absorbing it.
Individuals with anxiety and depression saw a decrease in their mental health during the pandemic because of Covid-19 and what they heard and saw about the virus. We relied heavily on the news to keep us up to date and informed during the beginning didn’t help. A lot of us were refreshing the news hourly just to try and grasp what was happening at the time. And although we have a better understanding of the virus now, there still have been many ‘once in a lifetime’ events that have happened. It’s as if we can’t take a break from the news without earth-shattering events happening.
But what can you do?
It’s not to say that reading up on the more negative news is terrible; you have to stay informed somehow, but everything is all about balance. If you read one negative news story, make sure to read up on a positive one.
You can also cut down on how much news you take in. Try turning off alerts on your phone or create a time during your day when you read up on recent events. But while doing this, you should also know where your news source comes from. Reliable news can curtail exaggerated and inflated stories, thus keeping you adequately informed and reducing your stress levels.
The bonus about technology these days is that we can pick and choose a wide variety of news sources such as podcasts or YouTube. We don’t rely on print or Local News at six anymore, and this ability allows us to find reliable sources and reach beyond our local or national news. Therefore, broadening our horizons, locating happier news stories, and getting various viewpoints from a slew of other individuals.
As difficult as it is to decrease our intake of news, there are things that we can do to make it easier on us but also allow us to continue to be informed. Taking these steps and many more can be crucial to our mental health and future. They say ignorance is bliss and, in some cases, helpful. But if we don’t find the right balance between taking care of ourselves and knowing what we need to know to make a better world, there will never be change.
