National Guard hitting the streets of Washington, D.C. States trying to redistrict and gerrymander mid-decade, shortly before mid-term elections. The Supreme Court of the United States asked to overturn same-sex marriage. Immigrants allegedly find worms in their food at “Alligator Alcatraz.” Never-ending Epstein-file updates (or lack thereof).
All of these articles make me a more informed citizen, and I believe that staying in-the-know is crucial during a time when misinformation spreads at alarming rates through social-media rumor mills and insular online spaces. Nevertheless, this knowledge can be a burden. These goings-on weigh on my heart. And I have times when I simply feel tired—physically and mentally drained.
Since January, rarely does a day go by without a shocking headline that would have turned the nation on its head two decades ago hitting my feeds. The reactions I see are mixed: a lot of outrage from across the political spectrum, an unfortunately high amount of distrust in reputable sources, and—most relatably of all—exhaustion.
People everywhere are experiencing news burnout, also known as media overload or news fatigue. We are forced into a boxing ring with doom and gloom, who keep punching us in the gut without giving us time to recover. Heck, at times I feel like I have just been sucker-punched before I even put in my mouth guard. Despite having been in the journalism industry for more than seven years now, I find myself unprepared for some of the baffling happenings taking place at the local and national levels.
Overwhelming disappointment in our country’s political climate and an oversaturation of “bad news” can lead to an almost apathetic response. The wildest headlines can sometimes only barely shake us out of our solemn stupors and grab our attention. It’s as if this questionably intentional bombardment of events is placing us in a sense of shock that leads our minds to defensively limit how deeply we can care about a particular issue.
Rest and Regulation
The good news is that this phenomenon is neither new nor dangerous. This feeling of being overloaded is our brain’s natural way of telling us that we have consumed so much information that our minds need time to process and refresh. News fatigue is just a friendly warning. So, listen to that sign and unplug for a bit: Limit the time you spend doom-scrolling, and you may find yourself face-to-face with less doom on a weekly basis, believe it or not. Regulation is key.
Now, I am in no way suggesting that you live your life in ignorance, isolated from what’s going on in your cities, in the state or in the nation. Being informed gives you the tools to repel disinformation and to make educated decisions at the polls, among other benefits. And we as a news room are certainly grateful to everyone who signs up for our daily and weekend newsletters. But you do not have to keep your finger on the pulse every single day. You are allowed to take a break, regroup and catch up on what you missed later.
Go outside. See a movie. Take your coworker out to lunch. Have an in-person game night with friends you haven’t seen in a while. Options for how to unwind and to stay off the internet for a day or so are numerous. From personal experience, I can say that letting our supercomputer brains cool down by doing something that breaks away from the monotonous routines of everyday life can have a refreshing effect on our mental health, particularly in regard to new burnout.
Sometimes, I want to unplug for longer, but I know that I can’t. For one, I have an obligation to this job. I have to keep my ears open so that I can perform to the best of my ability as a professional in the news industry. Additionally, as a journalist, I know that uncovering the news—the good, the bad and the ugly—is in the public’s best interest, which keeps me motivated to continue. But even I block out time for each day and week to turn my phone off (or at least not scroll through social media) for my own sake.
Moreover, not all journalistic content falls under the “gloom” category! As features editor, I have the pleasure of assigning uplifting stories that highlight Mississippi’s more positive aspects. If you want a break from news, browse our extensive archives of culture and people-focused stories.
And share the positivity around you! If you have, say, a community space or other public outlet in the state that helps you recharge when you’re feeling down, tell me about them! Perhaps we can arrange to write articles on those places or the people that run them sometime. Send feature-story tips to nate@mississippifreepress.org.
Between regulating our media and news intake and reading feature stories as a break from stressful headlines, we can overcome the hurdle of news burnout while staying in the know and supporting the newsrooms you know are doing their best to consistently and factually report on issues you care about.
This MFP Voices opinion essay reflects the personal opinion of its author(s). The column does not necessarily represent the views of the Mississippi Free Press, its staff or board members. To submit an opinion for the MFP Voices section, send up to 1,200 words and sources fact-checking the included information to voices@mississippifreepress.org. We welcome a wide variety of viewpoints.