Traumatised by the news

I want to be as informed as I can be. I don't think it's the responsibility of news providers to protect people's anxiety, other to inform them that the upcoming segment contains distressing material so that people can avoid it. They already invariably do that.

I think this is such an important topic! don’t watch the news and I actually think I it’s really not a good idea to watch the news. It often means witnessing something that is truly traumatic, and seeing these things over and over again, day after day. It’s bound to affect us.

I was having just this conversation with a friend recently, she and her DP watch the news every day and both are becoming really depressed and she knows it is linked. She said she thinks she should be fine, because previous generations lived through the war and they were ok. I pointed out that they weren’t actually witnessing the aftermath of horrific bombings etc in graphic detail day after day, because they didn’t have televisions. They would just get a summary of the main events from the radio or a newspaper, and that would be enough.

I do follow the news, by reading a newspaper, and even with that I try not to become obsessed and not to spend too much time on it. It’s so much healthier I think to try to give our time and attention to people and events going on around us, rather than to global events which are largely or entirely out of our hands.

I avoid the news as much as I can but my partner likes it on in the background sometimes so I hear/see stuff that I'd rather not. I struggle with the over the top detail e.g the 999 call, the police bodycams, videos of the police interview etc we just need the basic impartial facts but sadly people seem to want every little detail.

I can relate to this and am similar.
I have switched off the breaking news notifications from my phone and read the bare minimum news, especially not horrible details.
I know you said you don’t really do social media, but I follow Good News Movement, Upworthy and a couple of others to read about the good things that are happening in the world.

I have a good site called The Conversation it's newsy without click bait, it has a mixture of history, science, politics. Seems neutral enough so far.

But even that I have taken a break from this week. Its all too much.

I read the headlines on the red button on BBC TV. If there's anything that piques my interest, then I will look it up. Otherwise, I just scroll through. I think it is important to be aware of current affairs, but not to the detriment of your MH. This method works well for me.

Humans aren’t designed to know so much about so many different tribes. Ignore the news, you can’t do anything about any of it. Concentrate on what’s happening to your family, friends and community, people in your tribe. What’s happening in America, in the Middle East is just not worth engaging with it saps your energy for no return.

I’ve stopped watching the news. Take each individual as you find them

I agree, and as an editor/reporter, I feel we have a duty to inform and educate in an impartial way. Things that are too harrowing shouldn't be overly reported in too much detail, but we shouldn't deny facts if necessary.

You need to look at how you access information if you can't cope with it. You are an adult and responsible for yourself. Other people have to live through these experiences, other adults have to help them to do this, treat them, council them, be their social worker, arrest the perpetrator, listen to all the evidence in minute detail, send them to prison, work in those prisons and report the stories. Instead of just switching off your phone or TV, you want someone else to have the responsibility of shielding you from it all!

Absolutely agree OP, I find it hard to switch off and stop thinking about it too. My DH says don't watch it, and I know he's right, but I feel like i need to understand some of what happens in the world, as my job as an editor (trade press).

I have been particularly affected by the case with the little children, and i think as a parent, you have a lot more empathy as you always think about your own children when reading how the poor little ones who were affected 😢

TV news is worse I find because it's there in front of you - you can see it and hear it. But I know what you mean about feeling a responsibility to stay informed. I found a daily podcast that gives me the top 3 stories of the day, and I listen to a longer one at the weekend that is a round up of the political goings on. Both of those are Danish so won't help you - but the principle might. Consume what works for you. I also found it tougher after I had DC.

I think the news story about Preston Davey has gone into far too much detail, that little boy deserves for his story to be told but the amount of detail has been un necessary.

On the subject of 'do we need the details?' - i'm not sure.

On one hand it's nice to be ignorant. Ignorance is bliss, they say.

On the other hand i feel like (as much as it might pain us mentally) maybe we aren't seeing the real world if all details are glossed over?

I feel like i should face the details of what others have suffered. Not because it's my fault somehow but because i want to know/remember what monsters walk among us.

I keep up with it as I am thankful I am not one of the people in the news so I know how lucky I am if people have to suffer why should I have to be immune from seeing where they have to live it

I fully admit to being out the loop I see things on here and have no clue. To be honest I like it that way. We don't have TV. I don't seek out the news so I see nothing.

We've stopped watching the late news at night, I found it was keep me awake.

My thought is that evil has always been and will always be present in this world, but doing good deeds yourself and for those around you will have an impact. It's the best we can do.

Mumsnet and WhatsApp are quite aggressive forums though (forum as in “Channel of information”) so I think it’s to be expected. People have always used chat forums to argue, telll off, patronise etc

I rarely watch the news. It makes me a bit ignorant but so be it. I record one news show every day and watch one or two bulletins maybe once a week and fast forward a lot. Thats just to keep somewhat informed. Good reliable journalism states facts and avoids sensationalism. It's the multiple news sources now that have live footage that's really distressing. Don't forget news is a business, it aims to shock and engage, plus so much online stuff is click bait. I can't believe some people have news feeds on their phones, why on earth do you need to have your cup of coffee interrupted to hear about a rape or train crash. Its madness. Pick one sensible source not on a phone or avoid altogether, that's my advice.

In terms of human history, we’ve only been able to know so much about the what’s happening in the world for the blink of an eye. For the majority of the time we lived in groups of about 100 and would only really know what went on among that group. We are not really capable of coping with a constant stream of everything bad happening in the world and it’s absolutely fine to limit the news you consume.

What helped me-
— switching from R4 to R3 in the morning. Still get the basics of what’s happening in the world but not a constant loop of it- and music!

-making the FT my main source of written news. You get major events, key things happening in politics etc but much less of the most upsetting human interest stuff. Good analysis too.

-no news alerts and no news accounts on social media.

Yes I remember when the news finished with a good news item, also I remember when the soaps would do a jolly episode at Christmas with everyone in the pub singing Christmas carols and not much storyline and then it all changed, I think when they increased the episodes every week, now it seems that at Christmas there has to be a build up to a dramatic storyline where loads of people get killed.

Every thing seems full of doom and gloom.

You can empathise with people and not let it take over your life!

Sorry can't come into work tonight. I've not slep as I'm worrying about the news about something that doesn't actually affect me directly.....

This doesn’t really align with the principle of open justice though, in those cases. Would it help society as a whole not to know what people are capable of doing to each other? I’d argue not. How in 30 years would you have people succeed in front line services if they have no awareness of ie SA or DV?

if you’re talking about mainstream news they’re really not going into gory details of SA or DV. TikTok or specific documentaries willl do but of course are easily avoided.

also, there are people who think it’s important to know these details- again for awareness, and open justice, open justice being a critical principle of our society