How bad news can harm you
We can see things on our screens that really upset us. Disasters, attacks and accidents are just a few examples. It can be easy to keep watching, as we assume it can’t be that bad because we’re not actually there. What if I told you it could be? I’ll explain everything in this video.
If you don’t have audio, or prefer reading, I’ve included a transcript below:
Bad news can be all around us now. We’ve got 24 hour news channels. We’ve got screens and devices all around us and there's endless commentary and analysis. When something bad happens, it's almost like we're there. That can be a problem and a lot of people don't realise it.
The University of California Irvine conducted an interesting study. They looked at the Boston Marathon Bombing and they found something interesting. Something I think we should all think about.
These type events are called community trauma. They are the big things, like disasters, attacks and accidents. The kind of events where we see people suffering and we see things that are uncomfortable.
The study found something interesting. Some of the people who'd engaged in long-term viewing on TV, often about five hours of more, were suffering from acute stress. It was almost as if they were actually there.
Before you dismiss this, yes some of these people did have some underlying problems. Yes, that’s a lot of coverage to watch, but let's just think about the difference between being there and watching on TV.
If you're at one of these events, and I hope you don't have that misfortune, you're focused is on getting to safety or helping others. You also don't see everything that's happening around you.
You don't see the whole thing unfold and if you're in trouble and you're suffering, there's likely to be help available. Maybe not at the time, but certainly afterwards.
Now let's think about what happens when we watch this at home. We’re seeing everything unfold, all the horrible details and our minds haven't got anything to focus on. We can ruminate and we can keep reflecting on what's happening.
It was even found that some people watching other community traumas were being triggered by the original event.
It goes without saying that there's probably not going to be help on hand if you run into difficulties. Now let's think about how easy it is to get near to that five-hour mark. Like I said, we can often have screens around us and we're always getting updates.
Let's just think about how we used to take on bad news. We used to read it in a newspaper, and then we put the newspaper down. We'd probably get a half-hour news update at some point in the day, and we'd move on. I suggest you think about this. How much bad news do you need to take in?
If you, or someone you know, aren’t personally involved, do you need to keep watching? It's just an honest question, and you'll be able to find the answer.
I hope this helps. I hope it gives you something to think about, and it helps you feel better. Thank you.