Protecting our minds in a bad news world

[bobcat]

I had noticed for years that most of what you hear on the news is negative. I think we humans just have a penchant for paying more attention to negative information. I suppose our brains evolved to scan for threats, not good news. So, when we scroll, we’re more likely to click on fear, outrage, or conflict, and now that tendency is being exploited more than ever.

We’ve quietly crossed a threshold. For the first time in the internet’s history, bots outnumber humans online. This milestone signals a deeper shift in how content is created. Those bots crawl the net searching for material to craft for story content. AI agents are already crawling, scraping, synthesizing, and increasingly generating content at a scale no human workforce could match—reshaping the web in real time. Within ten years, we may see hundreds of billions - perhaps even close to a trillion agents operating online. Then they are used to evaluate success in clicks and reader time engagement. More clicks equal more revenue. They don't care about truth or balance, only engagement.

The bots quickly learned the same thing that news stations learned. The negativity bias is alive and well. However, the downside no one thought about or cared about is how it is shaping society. It's very easy to come away with a distorted picture of reality.

I think it takes conscious effort to reconnect with the real world. Offline life is where nuance, kindness, and perspective live. The internet magnifies threats and anger, but our daily life can be different. It's not about ignoring problems. It’s about refusing to let a distorted information ecosystem define your worldview. We can still care about the world without drowning in the dark side of it. The world is still full of good people, good stories, and good moments. They’re just quieter - and we have to choose to listen for them. We are what we eat.

 

[JustDave]

Everyone knows we are attracted to bad news. A lot of people even understand it's perverse, but I think you may have explained the psychological mechanics of the thing better than any I've seen so far.

 

[JustDave]

I think you are right about the way we should deal with it. I've only recently caught on to the solution, and I still have that pull that tries to keep me on the fringes of negativity. It's an internal battle, and I have not yet won the war, but maybe I'm gaining on it. My strategy before concentrated on wishing the bad news would go away, but that is a losing strategy. It won't go away. It's ingrained into society, and cultivated. It's like a human algorithm designed to create stupidity and mass hysteria.

 

[IrishEyes]

I learned along ago, hear what they are saying, listen to what is not being said as well.
Unless all parties are there in the telling, something is not being said.

 

[GoodEnuff]

I have quit almost everything online. Pretty much just SF now. And life is so much nicer.

 

[officerripley]

I think it takes conscious effort to reconnect with the real world.

I don't have much desire to do that. Around here the real natural world is usually too hot and smoky--this is the Wildfire State--and the real political, social world around here is too much like what's on the worst of the news. So thank goodness for the internet, tv, movies, and books.

 

[Sunkist]

Everyone knows we are attracted to bad news. A lot of people even understand it's perverse, but I think you may have explained the psychological mechanics of the thing better than any I've seen so far.

Bunk.

 

[MountainRa]

’ve quietly crossed a threshold. For the first time in the internet’s history, bots outnumber humans online. This milestone signals a deeper shift in how content is created. Those bots crawl the net searching for material to craft for story content. AI agents are already crawling, scraping, synthesizing, and increasingly generating content at a scale no human workforce could match—reshaping the web in real time. Within ten years, we may see hundreds of billions - perhaps even close to a trillion agents operating online. Then they are used to evaluate success in clicks and reader time engagement. More clicks equal more revenue. They don't care about truth or balance, only engagement.

The spread of bots is so distressing. I try to remind myself that they’re out there and influencing what I’m seeing on line. I often feel like stepping away from all sources of news and social media. But I keep remembering the old quote “ the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing “. So I try to keep a balance between staying informed, seeking out info from different sources, and turning off the computer.

I appreciate having Senior Forums as a place I can go to and interact with real humans.

 

[MarciKS]

Bunk.

It's not bunk. People are drawn by the headlines of all these horrible things that happen. And the need to share it with everyone else whether we wanna see it or not. Just look in the current events section of this forum or any forum.
~*~
@bobcat I finally quit watching the news and then quit reading the paper except for occaionally. Mainly cuz it sickens me to see all that stuff and makes my anxiety worse. It's not doing anything to enhance my life so I don't bother with it anymore. But it's affecting a lot of people and their moods but they refuse to see it or do anything to stop it. I have a friend on another forum that can't even manage to make conversation online cuz the news upsets her so much she can't focus on anything except all that negative stuff. And she refuses to put it down.

 

[astralcat]

I, too, have stopped watching the news years ago. Too much sensationalism and honestly, I hated it when the reporter would focus on a person's face in some tragic event. Why broadcast that to the world?

 

[Coconut]

News is just like everything else in the world, including people...some is good, some is bad.
With technically growing faster and faster we see more than we used to.
People do not change, things do. It is our human nature to want to know what is going on around us.
I would rather know than not know.
One just has to seek out the real truth if they really want to know.

A lot of people would rather walk down the block to see a car crash than to watch a bird sitting on a fence post.

If something is affecting your mental state and well being, try to stay away from it.

Bob Marley - Don't worry be Happy (3.52long)

 

[IrishEyes]

A lot of people would rather walk down the block to see a car crash than to watch a bird sitting on a fence post.
I totally agree with this one and it makes me cringe to see that almost joy/thrill on their face. I swear I visibly shrink if I
encounter it. If it's not someone you love, give the poor people some privacy and respect.

 

[VaughanJB]

I employ a particular mindset (for the most part).

I, like most here, am toward the end of my life. If ever there was a time to be selfish then it's now. As such, I concern myself mostly with what affects me personally.

I am no longer tethered to profit and loss, costs, share prices, and projections. I am just me.

The problem as I see it is, people are gravitating - perhaps naturally - toward sources that agree with them. This, in fact, was the problem all along. You end up in an information silo, where what you see are things you agree with, be it an idea, some hate, some faith. We stop learning, and look for enforcement.

One of the biggest lies is the so called "alternative media". Let me tell you, there is NO alternative media. Every single media outlet, big and small, is controlled through the same mechanisms and demands. I wish people would wake up themselves before they tell others to wake up. But then, perhaps I'm just dreaming.

 

[OldFeller]

I went to Journalism school. Back then it was radio TV and newspaper.

90% of the content in newspapers was written by publicists working for the various companies and political news agents.

Its no different now.

So just keep that in mind when you peruse the "news" stories on the internet.

Anything that sounds like its trying to manipulate you emotionally is trying to do just that. Its no different from advertising.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I would rather know than not know.

Me too!

I enjoy the internet and all that it provides but I’m thankful that I grew up before the internet was there to influence me and my ability to form my own thoughts and opinions.

 

[PeppermintPatty]

I stopped watching the news years ago. The news makes its money by attracting viewers to its stories.. I don’t bite. I’m not attracted to bad news. I’m attracted to positive or funny stuff. There’s enough positive posts on here to fill my quenching mind. Then there’s bunny, cat and dog threads as well as humour threads. There’s plenty of positive threads to look through.

 

[VaughanJB]

I stopped watching the news years ago. The news makes its money by attracting viewers to its stories.. I don’t bite. I’m not attracted to bad news. I’m attracted to positive or funny stuff. There’s enough positive posts on here to fill my quenching mind. Then there’s bunny, cat and dog threads as well as humour threads. There’s plenty of positive threads to look through.

A perfect example of the fact that each of us rules what goes into our thoughts. We allow this stuff in, be it good or bad. Never invest is a source (be it the BBC, the Daily Mail, or an alternative). The source is nowhere near as important as your own mind and sanity.

If you find yourself getting angered by someone questioning your belief on a given subject, then you likely have a problem.

 

[outlander]

Skynet is here! Bad news to demoralize humans is the first step. Bend over and grab your ankles because we don't have long

 

[Getyoung]

I do watch the news, normally once a day, to get an idea of what is happening locally ie: weather, events around the city, etc, and also I get a high level view to what is happening generally in the world. But one thing I always keep in mind....there are always two sides to the story. Sometimes when looking online you can get another perspective to the same story that seems to diminish the sensationalism of the original story you saw.

 

[Messy]

Trump saved some Iranian women. I never watch News, but I read it online.

 

[Babs2u]

Me too!

I enjoy the internet and all that it provides but I’m thankful that I grew up before the internet was there to influence me and my ability to form my own thoughts and opinions.

This is all about how we perceive the news. I applaud those who protest to try and change it.

 

[MACKTEXAS]

I watch the news and the weather. Just as I want to know what's going on in my community and the world at large, I want to know what the weatherman may have to say about any storms that could be coming my way. All that is just reality and avoiding it would bring me more worry that facing it for what it is.

 

[Rider77]

I don't necessarily all the news is negative. I see it more as a ratings contest. When news reporting moved into the 24 hour per day arena competing sources were vying for ratings to retain advertising revenue. Today we have additional formats of broadcast. I'm reluctant to call it news because it just isn't always that. You run the risk of only hearing one side of a subject by using only one source. I really prefer to hear factual information allowing me to agree or disagree on my own. Sadly that is very difficult these days.

 

[seadoug]

I had noticed for years that most of what you hear on the news is negative. I think we humans just have a penchant for paying more attention to negative information. I suppose our brains evolved to scan for threats, not good news. So, when we scroll, we’re more likely to click on fear, outrage, or conflict, and now that tendency is being exploited more than ever.

We’ve quietly crossed a threshold. For the first time in the internet’s history, bots outnumber humans online. This milestone signals a deeper shift in how content is created. Those bots crawl the net searching for material to craft for story content. AI agents are already crawling, scraping, synthesizing, and increasingly generating content at a scale no human workforce could match—reshaping the web in real time. Within ten years, we may see hundreds of billions - perhaps even close to a trillion agents operating online. Then they are used to evaluate success in clicks and reader time engagement. More clicks equal more revenue. They don't care about truth or balance, only engagement.

The bots quickly learned the same thing that news stations learned. The negativity bias is alive and well. However, the downside no one thought about or cared about is how it is shaping society. It's very easy to come away with a distorted picture of reality.

I think it takes conscious effort to reconnect with the real world. Offline life is where nuance, kindness, and perspective live. The internet magnifies threats and anger, but our daily life can be different. It's not about ignoring problems. It’s about refusing to let a distorted information ecosystem define your worldview. We can still care about the world without drowning in the dark side of it. The world is still full of good people, good stories, and good moments. They’re just quieter - and we have to choose to listen for them. We are what we eat.

One of the most salient posts I've seen recently in this forum.

I'll only add that those same bots and algorithms are damaging young people's lives by steering them toward content that can be self-destructive. An example is this craze called "Looksmaxing" for young guys who think their only chance at success is to be more handsome than someone else. Or teenage girls who want to be thinner and are guided to sites featuring anorexia.

We all need to unplug occasionally, plain and simple.