It’s no mystery that the news media profits off of bad news. When there were only a few news channels, reporting tended to be more rational and sane. However, with the rise of cable news, more and more stations were forced to compete with each other, and that resulted in attention-grabbing and sensationalism…in any way possible. Alarming, panic-inducing news gets more attention than ordinary news, so, guess what? That’s what media stations began spending their air time on.

The same principle applies to social media. Bad news grabs more attention than good news. What’s more, a lot of this news is just plain false AND that news tends to be shared more often than real news. According to Market Watch, fake news headlines are 70% more likely to be retweeted than true ones.

So, when you turn on the TV or log into social media, you’re likely to be bombarded with negative or even frightening news.

My recommendation: Turn it off!

Yes, it’s good to be informed, but you can easily catch up on the headlines in five or ten minutes of browsing. You don’t need to immerse yourself in this stuff day after day after day. I’ve seen the effects of this. I know people who absorb bad news like a sponge, and let it drag them down or make them overly nervous.

If you’d like to catch the basics, consider subscribing to a news aggregate service such as The Skimm, Feedly, or Google News. These services relay the most important news stories, without bogging you down with sad human-interest stories or unnecessary fear mongering. In my opinion, that’s about all you need.

So, how do you resist your habit of checking social media or tuning in to the news?

  1. Set time limits. Allot a certain number of minutes per day to social media and news
  2. Turn to other activities. Meditate, practice yoga, read a book, learn a few new recipes…find healthy distractions while you’re overcoming your media addiction
  3. Talk with others who share a positive frame of mind. We tend to take on the attitudes of the people we spend time with. Do your best to connect and communicate with others who share your optimistic outlook
  4. Subscribe to John Krasinski’s Some Good News. When the world seems inundated with bad news, John Krasinski’s YouTube channel will lift you up and make you laugh.
  5. Focus on others. One of the easiest ways to take your mind off of your troubles is to focus on making the world a better place. Volunteer, pick up litter, donate, mow your elderly neighbor’s lawn—put your energy into making a positive difference.

BONUS: You can do many of these activities with your family. Make it an event!

I know it’s easy to get sucked into alarming news stories and negative social media posts, but you have the power to redirect your energy. Log out, turn off the TV, and spend some time being present and living the best life possible.

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