on June 24, 2025
Not so long ago, the world was a lot quieter. Before the internet and social media, we were more present and more in tune with our surroundings. We were not constantly scrolling through our news feeds, sending messages, or clicking on the latest “doom and gloom” headline. We were still informed (reading the newspaper and tuning in for the nightly news), but we were not inundated. To me, all this content—this noise—has been damaging and we could all use a little more time away from our screens.
Our Overexposure to Bad News
Being a financial advisor, I see information overload all the time and understand how it can toy with our psyches. Every dip in the market, every “Sell now!” headline, every time some reporter or social media influencer claims a recession is on the horizon can affect our mentalities. If we’re steeped in bad news and scare tactics for too long, we’ll start to believe we’re always on the brink of disaster.
Contrast this with life a few decades ago. Unless you worked on Wall Street, you were likely pretty far removed from the daily ebbs and flows of the market. If your portfolio lost value on a Tuesday and then recovered on a Friday, you probably didn’t even realize the temporary dip in value. You just went about business as usual. Today, with market-tracking apps and constant notifications, it’s easy to see any piece of bad news, no matter how minor or temporary.
Keep in mind: bad news sells. There’s a reason news outlets and social media sites publish sensationalist headlines that emphasize catastrophe and doom. They want the clicks and the traffic, and they want people to keep checking back to see if the news has changed. The mundane and ordinary will never sell as well as doom and gloom. That’s why it’s rare to see headlines such as “The market is ticking along as usual” or “Long-term investing continues to reap rewards.” They simply aren’t as catchy or eye-popping as bad news.
How is information overload damaging?
When we absorb hot takes and negative news minute after minute, day after day, it is hard to be totally immune to it. It starts to sink into our thoughts and, perhaps, affect our decisions. We get jumpy, thinking that we need to act now to avoid catastrophe. Today, financial advisors are constantly having to reassure their clients that everything is fine and it’s far better to think long term and stay the course than to make any rash decisions.
If you’ve collaborated with a prudent and foresighted financial advisor to put together a logical financial plan, you do not need to worry about temporary market slumps or changes in the economy. A comprehensive plan should be able to weather these storms. Trust that your plan is solid, and talk with your financial advisor before making any major decisions related to your investments.
I am certain we would all be happier and slightly more sane if we made a concerted effort to stop doomscrolling, set down our phones or switch off our computers, and reconnect with the world around us. People were not built for a firehose of information 24/7. Instead, we are meant to soak in our surroundings, connect with others, and live in the present. Even if you can achieve this for an hour or two every day, that is a major step toward tuning out all the potentially damaging noise.