In the modern day, the news can be overstimulating. Ever since the covid pandemic, the news has been feeling overwhelming to watch, and I’d rather never turn the TV on again. But world events are important, so how can someone find the news that matters while pushing away the doom and gloom talk that raises anxiety?
First, identify what’s important. For myself, that’s foreign policy, privacy, and AI regulation. Then find a news organization that aligns with your values, and one that doesn’t. Diverse sourcing will help prevent biases, improving the strength of the research. According to Ryan Esquivel of Stanford University, it’s important to set boundaries with your news feeds. Before smartphones and 24/7 news channels, the news had natural stopping points. Now the impetus is on us as the consumer to create those breaks, and choose when we’re engaging with the news.
Nicole Moorefield from the University of North Carolina says to set aside a block of time to research the news. Avoid articles that aren’t about the values that are important, and take notes on the information that you find. Then, when the time is up, close the news down and review your notes. This method avoids the common issues with broadcast news and doomscrolling, where flashy stories may get more coverage than what you find important, as well as prevent unnecessary mental stress from news stories that have no great importance.
A study by Dr. Matthew Price, a psychologist with a focus in PTSD and Social Anxiety, found that “doomscrolling” amplified feelings of anxiety and depression.
“They’re designed to be limitless scrolling,” he said. “When there’s a big topic of conversation that’s negative, it can dominate what you’re seeing. It can give the impression that this is the only thing that’s happening.”
While news websites are often made to show the most eye-catching and often drama laden news, newspapers show both positive and negative news, as well as being local and important to you. Reading newspapers can curb the anxiety around opening a news app because there’s only so much news that can be read, making it easier to move on with your day.
