Student Opinion
By CAROLINE CROSSON GILPIN NOV. 15, 2017 The Learning Network - NYT
How often does the news get you down? Do you ever feel extremely sad or even depressed after reading or hearing the news?
What sorts of stories make you feel bad, and why? What happens to you when you are exposed to too much bad news?
In “Earthquakes! Fires! Shootings! Storms! How Tech Can Help Ease ‘Disaster Fatigue’,” Jennifer Jolly writes:
One of the first things I do every morning when I wake up is check the latest news on my smartphone. In the last few weeks alone, that means — like so many other people — I’ve started the day with some of the most horrific news imaginable: a mass shooting, devastating storms, terrible wildfires. It’s taken a toll on my overall well-being — and very likely yours, too.
“We’re seeing more ‘disaster fatigue,’” says Dr. Mary McNaughton-Cassill, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas at San Antonio who has studied the connection between media consumption and stress. “In the digital 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.”
I’ve been calling it “the bad news blues,” which is just a general feeling of “how much more of this can we all take” whenever I see a stream of tragic news alerts hit my smartphone or social media feeds. Sure, it makes me want to help, but it also makes me sad. And overwhelmed. Dr. McNaughton-Cassill says that’s a normal reaction when bad things are happening away from our own community, where we can do little to aid those in need. She said people might also experience an increase in stress, depression, exhaustion, sleep problems, anger and growing cynicism.
For some people already prone to anxiety or clinical depression the toll can be even worse. “There are clear increases in anxiety disorders, including cutting and self-harm, and suicide rates,” says Dr. Stephen Hinshaw, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. “The barrage of ever-present ‘bad news’ — and, for young people, the barrage of social-media-related permanent records of negative social interchanges — is a factor.”
Experts say there are steps you can take to help fight the sadness and anxiety that all this bad news may be causing.
Students: Read the entire article, and respond to the following questions in a well written paragraph or two. Be sure to type your response in a Google Doc first, so you can proofread and revise it carefully. Be sure to answer all the questions in your response and make sure your comment is free of grammar crimes!
— Have you ever experienced “disaster fatigue,” otherwise known as the “bad news blues”? If so, when? If not, why not?
— What do you do when you feel overwhelmed by the overload of bad news you come across? What works for you to reduce the stress, sadness or depression you experience from too much bad news?
— Which, if any, of the suggestions in the article would you try to fight the “bad news blues”?
32Do you have any tips or advice of your own? If so, what do you suggest, and why do you think your ideas will help?
By CAROLINE CROSSON GILPIN NOV. 15, 2017 The Learning Network - NYT
How often does the news get you down? Do you ever feel extremely sad or even depressed after reading or hearing the news?
What sorts of stories make you feel bad, and why? What happens to you when you are exposed to too much bad news?
In “Earthquakes! Fires! Shootings! Storms! How Tech Can Help Ease ‘Disaster Fatigue’,” Jennifer Jolly writes:
One of the first things I do every morning when I wake up is check the latest news on my smartphone. In the last few weeks alone, that means — like so many other people — I’ve started the day with some of the most horrific news imaginable: a mass shooting, devastating storms, terrible wildfires. It’s taken a toll on my overall well-being — and very likely yours, too.
“We’re seeing more ‘disaster fatigue,’” says Dr. Mary McNaughton-Cassill, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas at San Antonio who has studied the connection between media consumption and stress. “In the digital 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.”
I’ve been calling it “the bad news blues,” which is just a general feeling of “how much more of this can we all take” whenever I see a stream of tragic news alerts hit my smartphone or social media feeds. Sure, it makes me want to help, but it also makes me sad. And overwhelmed. Dr. McNaughton-Cassill says that’s a normal reaction when bad things are happening away from our own community, where we can do little to aid those in need. She said people might also experience an increase in stress, depression, exhaustion, sleep problems, anger and growing cynicism.
For some people already prone to anxiety or clinical depression the toll can be even worse. “There are clear increases in anxiety disorders, including cutting and self-harm, and suicide rates,” says Dr. Stephen Hinshaw, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. “The barrage of ever-present ‘bad news’ — and, for young people, the barrage of social-media-related permanent records of negative social interchanges — is a factor.”
Experts say there are steps you can take to help fight the sadness and anxiety that all this bad news may be causing.
Students: Read the entire article, and respond to the following questions in a well written paragraph or two. Be sure to type your response in a Google Doc first, so you can proofread and revise it carefully. Be sure to answer all the questions in your response and make sure your comment is free of grammar crimes!
— Have you ever experienced “disaster fatigue,” otherwise known as the “bad news blues”? If so, when? If not, why not?
— What do you do when you feel overwhelmed by the overload of bad news you come across? What works for you to reduce the stress, sadness or depression you experience from too much bad news?
— Which, if any, of the suggestions in the article would you try to fight the “bad news blues”?
32Do you have any tips or advice of your own? If so, what do you suggest, and why do you think your ideas will help?