Have you all noticed that every time you watch the news or go online it’s just constant negativity and nonstop doom-and-gloom?
And if you haven’t noticed… pls share your secret with me because I want to escape this.
I can’t watch my local news anymore because as soon as I turn it on, I get bombarded with multiple crime events and fear-provoking stories such as the latest study on what could possibly cause us to die. And I don’t believe that the local news is a good reflection of my area at all, as my town is FILLED with good people doing good things. But that never makes the cut.
I can’t watch national news anymore because as soon as I turn it on, it’s nothing but arguing and disagreeing and trading punches about whatever the hot topic of the moment is. No matter what side of the political spectrum you fall on, I don’t want to be subjected to the fighting with no end or resolution in sight. It makes me feel like a little kid again… hiding around the corner but still listening to my parents yelling and fighting with each other and scared to death that they would get a divorced. Very traumatic as a kid. Now the national news is doing the same to me as an adult.
I can’t visit Twitter anymore because every single time I check it out, I see something too terribly graphic that I just want to cry. Just today I saw a 20 second clip of dolphins beaching themselves and banging their heads against rocks until they died, and also people lighting a bulls head on fire so it would panic and stampede. By the time I figured out what I was watching, it was over. But I can’t forget what I saw. I HATE Twitter.
I can’t visit Facebook anymore for several reasons: the people I personally know on FB are judgey and hateful so I can’t say anything. And the people I do NOT personally know on FB, when I do say something to them for interaction, often end up ghosting me. And the FB Groups I’ve joined are even worse and are the exact opposite of what I wanted. For example, I love cats and and I have my own cat and I joined a few FB Groups dedicated to cats… and I had to leave them all because way too many of the posts were about cats who just died or cats that are sick and suffering and photos of injured dying cats and I just can’t deal with that everyday.
And when I consume content like that mentioned above, it seriously disturbs me and I fear that it will have a more permanent impact on me regarding my mood, state of mind, train of thoughts, etc.
And if that impact is happening to me, I believe it’s happening to everyone right? And having an entire population desensitized to tragedy and despair cannot be good. I feel like it will make people less caring and less sympathetic in response. It’s de-humanizing us. It’s terrible.
But how do we avoid this and stop this from happening to others? I feel like we have to be very mindful of what we consume as a first step, and then be responsible enough to not share graphic material that can provoke negative reactions in others. There is a way to report and educate others with dignity, and we need to foster that skillset again.
I am fortunate that I believe with all this crap there must be a pony somewhere. I am also lucky that I seek out positive people. I am working on a book about Fierce Females at my local farmers market. These women have range from former FBI agent who sells health products and pillar of the community. To a former Black Hawk helicopter pilot who used to rescue wounded soldiers. A woman who escaped a war torn country to own a beef farm. They give me a view of what is possible with hard work and a dream. Focus on what is possible and the dream ahead. Not on what is bad. That is how I got out of Detroit. I hope your health is better. Focus on you being the good. Focus on what you love and dreams. And have a sense of humor.
I couldn’t agree more with you, about focusing on the good, on dreams, on hard work, etc instead of all the bad stuff in the world. And I LOVE the premise of your book about Fierce Females! I wish I could be friends with those ladies at your farmers market. They sound incredibly inspiring to me. 🙂
Pepper you need new friends! Let’s get together and be friends! I love cats and dogs and happy animal videos! I dislike all that fighting so I don’t watch the news anymore. I pick and choose what to see because I am a sensitive soul and that type of stuff stays with me (like it seems to for you too).I heartily agree with you – ” There is a way to report and educate others with dignity, and we need to foster that skillset again”
There’s enough (wayyyy tooooo much) negativity in this world. Let’s not add to it, but instead look towards the light, the positive vibes and grow those parts until we can at least balance it out and (fingers crossed) hopefully have more positive goodness being spread around!
Yes I would love to be friends with you! I do believe that I’m an empath, and I absorb way too much of what I perceive around me. So I just need to make sure that I keep myself surrounded with positivity instead, such as friends like you!
You’re right! Keep your circle strong, filled with positivity and light! I’m here for you always! 🙂
I agree. The news is all gloom and doom, and it feels like where I live is more full of despair than many other places. And I’ve unfollowed and/or unfriended a lot of people on Facebook and Instagram for those reasons; there are a lot more that I honestly want to unfollow, but I see them regularly in real life and don’t want them to ask why I’m not following them anymore.
I’ve had a hard time making friends the last few years, and many of my friends have moved away, because where I live has become a post-apocalyptic hellhole and everyone is moving away except for the people who actually voted for this, who are usually the kind of people spreading all the negativity, and not the kind of people I want to be friends with. A lot of people have suggested that I try to make friends by finding groups based on common interests. But it’s hard to get motivated to do that, because I’ve known so many people in my adult life whom I met through a common interest, but I have nothing in common with them other than that one interest, and my interests tend to be the kinds of things that attract jerks.
And I was passively-aggressively ostracized from a Facebook group a few years ago for clicking an angry reaction that they deemed an unacceptable opinion to the very political post that was made, and then the same person who posted that reminded everyone that the group was not for discussing politics, yet did not remove the original post. I was telling an Internet “friend” about this a couple months ago, I said I didn’t want to talk about what the controversial opinion in question was, but she kept pressing. So I told her, and she basically laughed at my opinion and told me how wrong I was, and then said something like “this is why I find it so hard to be friends with people who think like you” and we never spoke again.
I don’t know. I’m just ruminating on what you said. The first thing I can do is not be a jerk to others, I suppose…
Hi there Greg! Oh gosh, you totally hit on a HUGE pet peeve of mine! When I was growing up, I was raised to believe that it was totally ok to “agree to disagree” and be able to maintain friendships and relationships with people that thought differently or had different views, and LEARN from it and end-up being more well-rounded and open-minded because of it. But we’ve completely lost that ability as a society now. Now, when someone thinks differently or has a different point of view, they are “WRONG” just like your Internet “friend” reacted to you. It’s terrible how we treat people who are different from us these days. 🙁
Exactly! The Internet is just making things worse, I’m sure, with all the angry people with huge followings out there.
I’m selective when it comes to what I consume. Due to my job, unfortunately, I have to keep abreast with current affairs because it directly impacts my work. Outside of that I carefully curated all my social media to limit the amount of negativity I see.
Yes, you’re very wise to curate your social media. I try to do so as well, but the negativity still creeps in. I’ll keep blocking though! 🙂
I stopped watching the news for a while during lockdown. It was too depressing. Now I mainly watch for the weather
I agree that the news is too depressing. I used to watch mainly for the weather too – mostly storm forecasts, but then I found them being wrong about it way too often so I quit watching for the weather as well.
I once joined a FB group for women who has suffered late miscarriage. But it was full of women wallowing and drowning in their grief. I complained to a friend that the place where I hoped to find support and kinship was just making my skin crawl. She said “well that’s not the place for you then” and I left. I was better off getting no support than that negativity and living in the past. I’m sure there’s a place for you, without all that bad stuff bringing you down. Hugs from me and my innate positivity. Xx
Oh, I totally understand this! I joined a few FB groups for my daughter’s health issues, and you are correct – the people doing most of the posting, are those that are in their angry and despair-filled stages and offer little hope or positivity. I’ve found that those people that have recovered or who are in better mental health stages, avoid such groups. I’ve ended-up avoiding them as well. I’m glad you did too!
I’ve become very good at scrolling past articles I don’t want to read on the few local news sites I read. I also only allow myself to check them once a day so that it doesn’t consume me. I never watch it on tv though, because I have no control of the negativity.
I have never been a twitter person, but I enjoy the upbeat vibes of instagram. I also made some real Facebook friends blogging. I chat with them and some other friends through Facebook, but I’ve removed all the negative people a decade ago when I got divorced. Do what feel comfortable for you.
Hi there Kristie, me and you sound very similar with this – and I think TV is the worst by far! Even when you’re not watching the news, they’re still sneaking in the negativity and the ick – I believe they do it for shock value, thinking that people will stay tuned in for it. I just want wholesome-ness on my TV. That’s it. But good luck finding it!
Being on vacation, we’re watching more news than we normally do as we’re hanging out in the hotel. What isn’t meant to scare you out of leaving the house is just insipid.
Hi there Bill! Oh no, watching the news is my least fave! Definitely meant to scare people and to broadcast the worst of the worst for sure. 🙁
It was unbelievable!
Hi there Pepper, I hear you and I agree. I try as much as possible to avoid the news, I’m about to delete my Twitter and I don’t visit the Zuckershere anymore. There’s so much hate and disharmony like you say and the only way to avoid it, for me at least is to cut it out.
Keep well 🙂
Good luck to you with cutting-out the Twitter and the FB! You’ll be happier and more productive for doing so! Congrats! 🙂
That’s Twitter gone… Can’t be happier 🙂