If you've ever looked at your social media feed and found yourself overwhelmed by the
onslaught of negativity in the news today, you're not alone. According to Dr. Mary
McNaughton-Cassill, a University of Texas psychology professor, bad news is seriously
taking a toll on our minds. "We're seeing more 'disaster fatigue,'" she told The New York
Times. "In the difital age where studies show some three out of four people check their
smartphone before going to bed and shortly after waking up in the morning, it's getting
harder not to feel overwhelmed." Look at the news today. It's not hard to see how all
the negative news can be overbearing. Specifically, the excessive coverage of these
events can make us feel bombarded with negativity, thus affecting our mental health
by triaaering feelings of depression, anxiety and anger. In a 2014 interview,
Dr. McNaughton-Cassill explained this phenomenon. "People have never before in the
history of the world lived where they were surrounded with so much media and
information," she said. "So 100 years ago, if there was a disaster and you were in it,
you actually had some direct things you needed to do to cope. But you weren't aware of
everything going on around you, there fore weren't as overwhelmed." One way to
consciously combat this is to limit phone use and turn off devices a few hours before
bed. Additionally, people should practice positive thinking. "It's basically cognitive
behavioral therapy, the idea that people can think differently about the same event,"
Dr. McNaughton-Cassill explained. "Look for a silver lining, and try to find something
positive to focus on," she suggested, "such as all the people who have helped others
during crisis events."