Recognizing News Anxiety

Audrianna Rowel
Aug 1, 2022
4 min read

Generalized Anxiety is a mental health disorder that many may be familiar with; according to the US Department of Health and Human Services. Specifically, Political events can be particularly stressful due to the recent divide in our political climate; which can sometimes further cause a divide between close friends and family members. Most of the stress can come from disagreements in political views and/or just watching the news on a daily bases; overall causing anxiety sometimes known as “News Anxiety” which can ultimately affect your mental health.

What is News Anxiety

The past two years have been filled with political unrest, a global pandemic, war in Ukraine, and recent rulings being overturned. Turning on the news can make people very anxious and sometimes be emotionally unavailable. News Anxiety can stem from constantly watching the news and feeling like nothing is going to get better or even watching videos about it on TikTok. For many people, news can be something that can affect them in the long term, making an individual numb to things around them.

Ariel Hill a 17-year-old from Alabama, who has been personally affected by News Anxiety feels as though it does have a long-term effect on someone; numbing and blocking out the media can be an escape for many.

“For me personally watching the news was honestly my breaking point. It was a disaster back to back, Covid-19 started, Black Lives Matter was raging and I felt like Trump was doing nothing to help. People were constantly dying and it was mentally and emotionally exhausting; after a while, I kind of became numb to it all and stopped watching.”

However, Jadyn Moreno an 18-year-old dance Captain at Gardendale High School feels the exact opposite. There was still an obligation to watch it to know what was happening. Even though it was stressful there was still a strong obligation to stay on top.

“I feel as though I am obligated to watch the news and stay on top of stuff. I’m a strong advocate for human rights; I want to do what I can to help and be aware of everything around me and sometimes it can be mentally exhausting but I can’t stop.”

Unfortunately, for many being numb has become the new normal. According to Charles Figley who is the director of the Traumatology Institute, repeatedly seeing similar violent images and reading bad news can be normalized in the brain, eventually becoming desensitized. Some individuals may watch the news and not be affected by it, but others run to social media to escape it only to be met with more bad news.

Social Media: The New News Outlet

Social Media has become the new place to get news but sometimes it can become too much to handle for some individuals. Social media has become an escape for many who try to get away from the world around them. Looking at other people's lives can sometimes make individuals forget about their own lives, some may use it to withdraw from the world as a whole; but how can you withdraw when social media is the new source? The news is such a big part of our lives that we may see it almost every day and it can sometimes be a part of our daily routines such as reading Instagram posts, Twitter threads, and sometimes little snippets we hear from family members or even close friends.

Moreno, who has been personally affected by social media news sources feels as though social media is a great way to get new information but it can sometimes add to the stress.

“Social media can be used to spread information to other people and share with them what is going on and how to help, but sometimes it can be overstimulating. When the election was happening I was so exhausted from worrying about who would be next in office and the constant posts just made me shut down and delete social media until I calmed down.”

While it is a good thing to watch the news to stay informed and involved, it is also very important to acknowledge how frequently you are consuming it. According to Dr. Amanda Spray a clinical associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry, “With Near-constant access to the news 24/7, it can be challenging to moderate our consumption, particularly when there are critical, important, major world events taking place that the media is covering” Spray also continue, “When news is consumed in extremes, it can be detrimental to one’s mental health.”

Recognizing how much news you can consume is a very important way of avoiding the stress and depression constant news can bring. You do not have to cut out all media outlets to feel better, but recognize how much you can take at a time. Stress is part of everyday life, but it can be a lot higher due to recent political events. It can be easy to feel powerless and feel like you have no control over your life or the things happening around you, but it is important to realize what you do have control over and to know ways you can overcome the feeling of News Anxiety.

Winding Down

Here are some resources to help!