To feel like we’re living in a state of constant fear lately?

[Silvercandycane]

Does anyone else feel like they’re living in a constant state of fear and panic lately?

We had covid and lockdown,, then the Ukraine war and the thread of nuclear attack and now it’s strep A killing children.

I’m on edge constantly and feel like I haven’t been able to fully relax in the past three years.

The media aren’t helping.

Is anyone else feeling the same?

For about 4 years.

Environmental collapse is happening, costs are shooting the the roof, war in Europe, rape is practically legal given the conviction rates, abortion and other women’s rights are under threat, racism on the rise, crazy populism in countries with nuclear weapons, Putin…

I avoid the news.

Look back over time and at other countries. Living in GB at this time in history we are very privileged. Yabu and wallowing in misery. Don't read the papers for a bit.

Stay away from the news for a bit. When things are our of your control it's better to just give it a swerve if it's getting to you.

Just stop following the media so much. Scare stories sell papers/TV time.

Dammit
I typed a big reply and MN ate it

turn off the news.

Nah not really.

Look up the Cuban Missile Crisis. Second World War. Spanish Flu. For most people throughout most of modern history life was brutal, risky and usually short.

Politically and economically things are depressing now and living standards have definitely fall but if you look at the bigger picture we are still more affluent and healthier than at most points in human history.

Perspective helps.

I avoid the news.

The media are behaving abysmally with their scaremongering.

Strep A has killed 8 children as it stands and is normally a fairly mild infection but they're telling people to go to A&E with suspected symptoms.

It's like the start of covid again. It's ridiculous. Don't take your poorly child to a room full of other vulnerable people because they've got a temperature.

The media are behaving abysmally with their scaremongering

Nothing new there, but it's got worse with online, 24/7 "news" and everyone competing for the most clickable headline

Much easier to ignore most of it, and if something piques our interest to seek out more reputable facts

@girlmom21

To be fair the media will always report on outliers and unusual situations which could turn out to be frightening. That is their job. It’s not their responsibility to provide the general public with comfort.

Its up to us to read it with a critical eye.

I dont watch the news. Unfortunately I have to hear about things through my work. Maybe its ignorant of me but tbh at this point I'd rather protect my mental and emotional health by not knowing.

Couple of things I said in my post that MN ate

In 2000, there was a guy in my office who said our riverside office would be under water by 2010. He is now a climate expert on TV.

In school, we were taught all the stuff we are teaching kids now. I am 46. The population problem gets worse but none of the doom of the last 30 years happened.

When i was a kid in the 80s, there was always the threat of nuclear war. But no 24 hour news.

People are getting fear sent directly to their phones!. Fear sells. Read Frank Furedi or Laura Dodsworth if you're interested to see how.

Supermarket and energy prices stare us in the face daily - but all the things you mention are easy to ignore if you ignore so called "news".

They should be telling everyone to take their young children to A&E either, though. It's incredibly irresponsible.

No, we are comparitively living in safe and prosperous times

*should not, obviously!

Your second last line sums it up

The media are now fully aware the profit doom headlines bring.

Be proactive and control what you hear / read

You're not wrong, OP. This is what mass media do. I stopped reading about it ages ago. I've got my own shit to deal with, I need to get on with my life. I can't fix war in Ukraine, and all these problems. If something important happens, I will find out anyway.

As someone with bad anxiety (like alot of people) this news about strep A has really worried me. So I'm going to try and stay away from the news, not opening the app on my phone will be a start.

Not in the least.

Every second of life is a privilege and worrying changes absolutely nothing.

A collective lack of critical thinking skills is more worrying, I think. No pun intended😄

It's by design. Don't watch the news if you want to keep your sanity.

I limit myself to watching the BBC news at 6 or 10, and I don’t look at social media/online news/stay away from twitter panics. I like to stay informed but there’s a balance between that and feeling bombarded with stuff that actually isn’t and probably won’t impact me.

I just ignore it all and go about my day. There have been many disasters before and will be many to come. I'm still alive. No point worrying about it you will just make yourself ill.

It’s weird to blame the media. Unless you think the stuff they’re reporting literally isn’t true, it’s a you problem, not a reporting problem. Ukraine is happening, cost of living is happening, terrible government is happening, strep A is happening, etc etc.