The wave of negative news can affect the brain and the body.
The circulation of disturbing headlines on the Internet is not something new, but thanks to social networks we are more exposed than ever to them.
From the uninterrupted transmission of the Capitol riots , to the videos of police confrontations such as those in Linares and the updates of the data on the number of deaths and infections of the coronavirus . We are constantly bombarded with doom. Social media provides the perfect space for everyone to share the latest information (and misinformation), as well as analysis. There is no rest.
Ultimately, we think we can handle it because we don’t collapse every time we detect another tragedy on our news feed. But is this a sign that we are fine or is it really an indication that we are suffering more than we think?
Consuming this constant stream of negative information can be traumatic, experts say.
Katie Day Good , a professor of strategic communication at the University of Miami, says that social media can be a double-edged sword when it comes to understanding tragedy or humanitarian crises. While they can help us better understand the issues that affect others and “push us to adopt behaviors and advocate for political solutions that bring positive change,” there is also the problem of becoming numb to tragedy because we see so much of it.
“Social media can desensitize us to tragedies by presenting us with too much information, information taken out of context, misinformation or misinformation designed to mislead,” he explains.
Since we don’t always have enough time to digest one story before we begin the next, we can sometimes feel emotionally numb, helpless, and immobile. This usually happens when our survival mechanisms are activated. For her part, Grace Dowd , a psychotherapist from Austin, Texas, compares this phenomenon to the fable of the “boiling frog.”
“The frog is used to jumping, but if you put it in a pot of water and slowly raise the temperature, the frog will stay still because it does not notice the gradual change over time,” he explains. “We have become insensitive to situations that in other times would seem scandalous or unimaginable,” he continues. “Our constant access to social networks and the news influences to the point that nothing is shocking anymore, in addition to diverting our attention in the next crises.”
The ways they affect networks
Not only desensitization is cause for concern. There are a good handful of other ways that social media can impact us:
Reconfigure our nervous system.
According to Mary Joye , a mental health specialist and trauma expert, our response to fighting stress kicks in when we see bad news, whether consciously or unconsciously. Our system “releases stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol,” he says.
The more we engage in that loop, the more it hurts, sometimes to the point where our bodies and brains have an immediate reaction: as soon as we log in.
“The repetition of [bad news and images] hurts us through indirect trauma,” adds Joye. “Like the trauma survivor who becomes hypervigilant and scans the world for danger, the doomscroller also looks for negative events.”
Our brains begin to process the world as “an unsafe place, which is one of the many symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder,” explains the specialist. “It can make us irritable, territorial, shut down, or exclude others, and these are all responses to trauma as well.”
Less empathy for others.
The expert assures that social networks can contribute to us being less empathetic thanks to desensitization and anonymity: “People make comments online that they would never say in front of someone. If they do this continuously, they will start to be less compassionate in real life. ”
The doomscrolling excessive can cause mood swings, loss of appetite and even cardiovascular problems. According to Sam Nabil, CEO and therapist at Naya Clinics , excessive exposure to grim, hateful, and bleak content can lead to elevated cortisol levels in the body, causing a drop in mood.
This also “contributes to the development of mental health problems, loss of appetite, sleep problems and increases the risk of hypertension and developing other cardiovascular diseases,” he explains.
Reduce ‘fatality’ while staying informed
“Awareness is always the first step in changing behavior,” says Lin Sternlicht, therapist and co-founder of Family Addiction Specialist . “A person must become aware of the negative impact that fatalism is having in his life and then have the desire to want to change his habit.” That is, first you have to recognize the problem.
Mark the limits.
“We need to monitor our time online and set clear limits on when and how long we are accessing the news,” says Steven Crawford , medical director of the Pathlight Mood and Anxiety Center in Baltimore. “It is up to us to set these limits on our own, although it can be particularly difficult during a pandemic and quarantine when it often seems that there is not much else to do than sit at home and surf the web.”
Take an interest in the good news.
Crawford suggests filling our feed with good news or stories that will give the brain a break from so much doom and sadness.
“If it doesn’t make you feel good, ask yourself why you want to keep being exposed,” Sternlicht muses. “If staying informed is the main concern, look for a news source outside of social networks that tends to inform you of the news you want to be up to date and that is not so obviously toxic.”
Check social media with intent.
“Pay attention when looking for updates out of boredom, impulse, or stress or to alleviate some negative emotion,” says Sternlicht. “Find healthier ways to occupy your free time and deal with negative thoughts and feelings, such as self-care through exercise, eating right, journaling, and other wellness methods.”
Ignore not being up to date.
The fear of missing something is often used to justify doing things that we probably shouldn’t be doing, says psychologist Julie L. Futrell. This is often used as a reason to stay connected.
We may be afraid of missing something, “but it can almost be guaranteed that if something important happens, we all find out one way or another,” he says. “We live in the information society.
