Negative News
by C. D.
How times have changed over the years. Years ago, growing up, I used to look forward to reading the daily newspaper which mostly contained the good news and happenings in life with less of politics or tragedies locally and around the world. We never had a TV, so a daily newspaper was the only way to be informed what was happening globally. We had more time to be optimistic and go about our daily life with less stress.
These days you watch, read, or listen to the news, and you’re likely to come away believing that the world is rapidly descending into disaster and chaos. There is daily news about the epidemic all over the world. People lining up for swab tests or vaccination. People gasping for oxygen in a hospital or streets. People either being buried or cremated. There is also depressing news about people committing suicides, people getting shot in schools and public places. Religious or political street brawls and riots in some cities. It’s unfortunately sad to see all this.
Exposure to consistent, pessimism and negativity has become the norm for those keeping up with the news. Research shows that what we see or hear on the news can significantly impact our mental health. The worst part is.. it is not easy to ignore the negative news. Once you have seen the tragedies, you are more likely to watch or hear more to see if things have finally got better. There! you are now hooked to the negative news. The media and news organisations in a desire to maintain attention and viewership, emphasis on negative stories. Good news is short- lived in our memory compared to tragedies or any other kind of negative news.
To add to this dilemma, during these depressing days, unverified news and rumours too are spreading around through messaging services and social platforms.
I should consider turning off the news when I am upset or sad. Better yet, I can try a news-fast for a week and see how I feel. Bad things happen every day, but this doesn’t mean that life is necessarily bad or getting worse. So let’s live with the times and hope situation improves so that we and especially our younger generation can live peacefully and in harmony.