(10/16/20) By Alexa Boyd
You’ve seen the headlines: wildfires ravishing the west coast, pushing families out of their homes, eating up our precious forests…Every second there seems to be a new update being reported that is specially crafted to make the smile fall from your face and worry about what’s coming next. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed this year- you’re not alone.
Our current environment almost forces us to consume media at a rapid pace and now there is a moral obligation to stay updated. This forced consumption threatens to influence our perspective with propagandized subtext that most aren’t aware of. Siva Vaidhyanathan with Wired Magazine believes this overstimulation is intentional.
“We find ourselves numb by over stimulation, distracted by constant movement and sound, unable to relate to those ensconced in different bubbles and influenced by different versions of reality”(WIRED). We are presented with feelings of defeat in the face of being bombarded by media that we can’t trust or change. However, the author encourages taking a step back and centering yourself in order to organize productive change.
“When thought prevails, it’s by weathering this downpour and pushing through to higher ground”(WIRED).
This article addresses the topic we are all thinking but haven’t conceptualized yet- that media is overwhelming right now, and hard to trust. We are being overstimulated without a guarantee of accuracy or traction and the results are proving to be discouraging. Siva encourages resilience: addressing that sometimes, with persistence, we can turn consumable media into productive, resulting action. But what Siva fails to mention is how to do this when the media (for some), is their only connection to the outside world.
“Since the lockdown, there has been an 87% increase in social media usage” (Cureus).
As a result, a new psychological phenomenon has been observed as a result of these large “waves” of media coverage. It’s common now for consumers to report feeling “stressed, overwhelmed, and hopeless” concerning the content of 24 hour coverage.
Following the 2016 election, psychologist Dr. Steven Stosny identified this syndrome as “headline stress disorder”, an unofficial diagnosis. The term’s relevance has skyrocketed since the start of COVID19, with media coverage and usage on the rise.
It’s becoming increasingly apparent that media consumption has a direct effect on the psyche, and it’s important to be aware of what you are consuming, and how long you surround yourself with it.
Not all sources have your best interests at heart. Take care of yourself.
Bustle, Here’s How To Tell If You Have Headline Stress Disorder — And How To Protect Yourself From It
Cureus, Role of Mass Media and Public Health Communications in the COVID-19 Pandemic
WIRED, The Dangers of Ubiquitous Video