Your Front Page Just Punched Me: Causes of the News Blues

Warning! Graphic Content Ahead! You can turn back now … or choose to read further. Have you ever gone to an online news source to suddenly, surprisingly encounter a gut-wrenching headline or photo? Did it make you feel sucker-punched in the stomach? Now, don’t get me wrong: I think as citizens we have an obligation to know about certain events that may be tragic, hurtful, sad, distressful or disturbing. I’m not saying that horrible events shouldn’t be reported. However, as a psychologist, I would argue that as a society we should have somewhat ‘safe spaces’ in which we can receive news without the proverbial punch in the stomach, if we know, at least in that moment, that we just simply can’t handle it. As a psychologist, I work with veterans, many with PTSD. Sometimes, they, like many of us, log onto online content to feel more socially connected. Like a self-therapeutic gesture, we do this to sometimes feel more soothed, or distracted from dark or lonely feelings as we delve into novel online content. Typically, when looking for that sense of connection, or delight, or enrichment, one may turn to news of recent politics, world news, sports scores, entertainment news, comedy sites, book reviews, health & science news, pictures of natural wonders, and so on. However, for many seeking engagement with the news in such a way, they may instead find that their initial encounter will be overshadowed by abrupt headlines detailing deaths, deaths of children, or t...
Source: Psych Central - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: Disorders General Policy and Advocacy Psychology PTSD Stress Comedy Sites Entertainment Comedy Entertainment News Gesture Graphic Content Health Science News Horrible Events Initial Encounter Lonely Feelings Natural Wonders Source Type: news