Constant online news updates can often get us down, but they don’t need to
The dramatic news alert from the BBC app on my iPhone regularly interrupts me mid-conversation. Not to mention the frequent, perhaps less dramatic, interruptions from The Guardian, The Week, The New Yorker.
Smartphones make it easier than ever to stay up to date with the world around us. As a journalism student trying my best to live and breathe current events, this is ideal. Last night I received four BBC updates on Brexit in the space of six hours. Ten updates in total, taking the other apps on my phone into account.
Am I up to date on Brexit? Very much so. Did I get through the tasks I had allocated myself to do last night? Absolutely not. The ever-changing impending doom of the UK, in the form of the annoying trademark BBC news flash alert, demanded my full attention.
Today’s BBC news app home page headlines read: “MP’s have ‘clear choice’ as Brexit delayed”, “NZ falls silent for mosque attack victims”, “Body in Humber confirmed as Libby Squire”, “The lives lost and the world they reveal”.
So heavily immersed in the world of online news, it’s often difficult to avoid feeling immersed in a world of misery. UK audiences are beginning to switch off news due to this overwhelming focus on what’s wrong with the world.
One in three people in the UK have said that they now consume less news than they used to, with one in five avoiding news completely. The main reason for this was that it was having a negative impact on their mood, followed closely by a feeling that there is nothing they can do about the detrimental state of the world.
Maybe the world is on a downward spiral, but more likely we are simply overwhelmed by the demanding nature of online news today. Our phones seem to chime in every time we are in a good mood to remind us not to be too happy – Brexit will ruin our lives soon.
What is the solution to this?
While I myself certainly find this difficult to swallow, we must rise above the bad news. There might be a lot of bad news unfolding around the world, however dwelling on this without purpose will achieve nothing.
Constructive Voices is one organisation which is aiming to put a positive spin on negative news, promoting solutions based journalism over bad news for the sake of bad news. Constructive Voices looks out for solutions-based news stories, sourced from charities and social enterprises, and ensures these stories are promoted in the media.
Where can you read some positive news?
The positive news revolution is in full swing. Many mainstream publications have gotten on board with this. The Guardian’s “The Upside” section in their online news is filled with constructive news stories based around enterprise, environment, communities, health and technology.
Additionally, platforms are emerging exclusively for positive news. Positive.News is a UK based publication which publishes constructive news stories in print and online around various topics.
While the mainstream news may sometimes make you want to ditch your phone entirely and reside under a rock somewhere where you might be safe from it all, fear not. It is possible to stay up to date and avoid the bad news induced feeling of impending doom.
It might feel like a productive use of your time to constantly be checking in on the news, but being on your phone all day – even if it is educational – is still a distraction from your daily tasks and rude in social situations (read more on “netiquette” in our latest print issue).
Perhaps swap out your regular daily news reading for Postive.News or similar. Consider switching off the hourly Brexit updates from BBC and set aside an allocated period of time in the day for your news consumption. Listen to news on the radio while you have a shower and eat your breakfast and then switch it off. The world will continue to go round without your monitoring it until the following day.
It’s time to overcome online news gloom.
