When we didn't have the 24-hour news cycle, compassion fatigue mainly affected healthcare workers. Overexposure to other people's trauma would cause doctors and nurses mental and physical distress. But now we as news consumers also start to feel the symptoms: numbness, depression, and a decreased sense of purpose.
There have been instances in the past when people disengaged from news media. Usually, it has to do with some big event or catastrophe, like 9/11. Author of Avoiding the News: Reluctant Audiences for Journalism Benjamin Toff says that we're dissatisfied with the lack of resolution in news: "None of the stories feel like they come to a conclusion in a satisfying way."
We watch the news, see all the horrible things happening, and can't help but feel helpless. Psychiatrist Arash Javanbakht explains that our aversion to news media might be explained by one form of survival mechanism that we have: learned helplessness.
Basically, when we know we cannot control a scary or painful situation, we simply give up. Arash Javanbakht says that this is why we can't handle watching or reading the news anymore: we feel too helpless by the onslaught of terrible news and, instead of taking action, simply give up.
But how do you feel after scrolling through this list of positive, wholesome news, Pandas? Did it alleviate your anxiety at least a little bit? Let us know which stories you loved the most in the comments! And if you want more uplifting goodness, check out our previous posts about the Global Positive News page here, here, and here!
