The News

Clarity in a World of Noise

"In order to change the world, you have to get your head together first." – Jimi Hendrix

We live in the information age.

It follows you in your pocket, pops up on every social media and is present in every comment section.

We want to stay informed. We should stay informed.
But how much is too much?

There’s a fine line between knowing what’s happening and feeling powerless because of it.

Take the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing research, for example.

Two groups of people were studied:
The first group watched six or more hours of news coverage about the bombing.
The second group were actually at the marathon.

The result?

Those who watched hours of news were more likely to develop PTSD and experience chronic stress than the people who lived through it.

Why?

Because the way news is presented can amplify fear and anxiety, even from a distance.
It doesn’t just inform, it also impacts how we feel and what we believe.

News outlets don’t just report reality.
They shape it.

And often, it does so in a way that leaves us feeling helpless.

Algorithms promote the most shocking, polarizing stories to grab attention.
And the more engagement a story gets, the more it spreads- even if it’s misleading.

Controversy equals clicks.
Outrage equals engagement.

The worst part is, a lot of this ‘engagement’ comes from botted accounts, putting a magnifying glass on certain tragedies while covering up other stories to spread someone’s narrative.

But this isn’t just a problem of accuracy; it’s a problem of perspective.

We can start to feel like the world is spinning out of control.
Like we’re drowning in problems too big to fix.

But when we focus too much on what’s out of our hands, we lose sight of what’s within them.

So what can we do? After all, it’s important to know about the issues around us, right?

We can start by acknowledging what social media is designed to do.

It’s not here to help you stay calm or optimistic- It’s here to keep you watching and to provoke a reaction for you to comment; so, we should not define our outlook on life based upon this.

Second, we can set boundaries.
We can engage with the news thoughtfully, rather than trying to absorb every detail or every comment left by somebody; it’s often impossible to fully understand a story so soon after it unfolds.

It’s not about ignoring the world’s problems or pretending everything’s fine.
It’s about finding balance.

You don’t have to carry the weight of the world to be informed.
You just need to know where your energy is best spent.

What can you do for your community?
For your family? For yourself?

Because the world isn’t only what you see online.

It’s also what you build in your corner of it.

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