Internal Pessimism or Negativity Bias?

I was supposed to be on a two week long European spring break this week. Basking in the spring weather as I made my way through Eastern Europe; taking dips in the bathhouses, snacking on Štrukli, and scoping out the film locations where they shot the infamous TV series Game of Thrones.

Not once in my grand spring break vision did I picture my days restrained in my parents’ home, unable to escape from the news blaring 24/7 from the living room.

As the days in self-quarantine sluggishly pass on, it’d be nice for the news to make it seem like things are slowing getting better. However, that never really seems to be the case.

Whether it's clips playing of Donald Trump’s rants after a reporter asked him "what do you say to Americans who are scared?", statistics of rising death tolls, or heartbreaking interviews of Americans who have lost their loved ones from the virus- the news that seemingly loops endlessly makes it seem as if quarantine will last forever.

Is this just the internal pessimist in me? Or is there really nothing good to report in these troubling times?

My feelings throughout this time

Negativity bias. That is perhaps the answer to the extraordinary amounts of negative news being circulated 24/7 (in addition to the fact this is not a very cheerful time we are in, of course). Out of 1,000 people spanning 17 countries, a study concluded that people pay attention more to negative news than positive news. High viewership leads to more expensive advertisement rates, leading to more money, driving negative news coverage. There is simply a market for negative news.

Evolutionarily, the existence of negativity bias makes sense. It’s much more beneficial for you to pay attention to negative news (that berry you are about to eat is poisonous) than positive news (a firefighter rescued a cat).

However, we are no longer cavemen. Sure, staying up to date with what is actually going on is important. But too much of it? Health Psychology suggests that these sensationalist news stories create long-term consequences for our well-being. This can include an increase in anxiety, a heightening of stress, and can even lead people to seek help which can overburden health care facilities and tax available resources.

So my solution? Simply stop consuming the news and being informed! Kidding (kind of). According to the experts, it might be beneficial to make a switch to the Solutions Journalism Network. Here, you’ll find a large database of solution-focused news stories—including stories related to the virus. Also, newspapers such as the New York Times and the Guardian have whole sections that focus on uplifting stories, helping break up the bad news.

While my new spring break might not be exactly as I hoped, I can at least spend it hearing something good for a change.