When the media impacts our mental health

Hi @NikNik,

I too find that I am very influenced by what I see in the media. Part of the problem is that it's all bad news that gets all the air-time. And then the media really, heavily put a slant on things.... I find it is all to do with fear-mongering. We are being trained by commercial T.V. to be fearful. To what end... I'm not sure? Really, does it somehow keep the economy strong if people are afraid of everything all the time? It must do!

I don't like all those programs on T.V. that are to do with crime and show graphic depictions of murdered people, either. I think some of the things they show are akin to 'horror' images. It's very distasteful and disturbing. That fact that we are supposed to find such images 'entertaining' is very alarming.

@NikNik, I am very selective about what I watch on T.V. and about what I read. I often prefer to have up-lifting music playing in the background, rather than have the T.V. on. If I do have the T.V. on, I love to watch comedies or else documentaries.

It's all about protecting myself, these days. I know the world can be a scary place, but there is plenty of good in the world, too. We have to seek out the good.

Hi @NikNik @Sahara

i can't not read the news.. but i try not to go over and over the same news once i have the gist of the facts.. i.e. with the horrific incident in melb, I have read an informative article but now not reading the dozen or so more that are there on all the different 'angles'. I will probably read more down the track when more info is available... but really at hte moment the media is spinning hype.

I think its also important to choose the right time to read the news... when i'm already feeling anxious or vulnerable is not a good time for me to read things that are going to impact on me. but... im not always that clever.

Hi @NikNik,

I watch news several times a day, and it makes me so sad the news is so distorted now, their is no real facts anymore and people around the world seems to be becomming more cruel. it is so sad to see.

In reguards to the tragic Melbourne incident, that poor man driving the car has been failed by society, mental health services and legal services, he was mentally unwell and was not made to get the help he needed, the juditiary failed him by not keeping him safe from himself and others. i know in the comming days they will make him out to be a crazed monster and not a sick man who was unable to access the services he so desperatly needed. the whole thing was an avoidable tragedy. one i hope in time. governments and mental health services will be able to help stop.

the media seems to always chase wars, violence and anything sexual, the media now is all about keeping people in a constant cycle of fear and anxiety.

I really don't know why, i guess their is now to much information available, maybe too much information.

i don't know how i manage it, maybe this contributes to me being so unwell and shunning society.

Hi NikNik and everyone

I'm a bit burnt out too with what is happening in the world and how the media is carrying on.

I've upped the 'happy, fun' things I like on Facebook so I've got more niceness coming into my news feed. Think about the things that make you happy, and like some pages that post those things. I've got more art/theatre stuff coming through plus some silly animal videos. I also liked a queer meme group, thinking it maybe silly fun, turns out they are quite politcal but hilarious and biting, so although I did increase the poltics on my news feed, I also increased the laughter.

Hi @NikNik and everyone else.

I hate the media and news, its turing our society into such dribble , who cares that Trump got his cake made the same way as Obahma I mean OMG if thats all they can report as well as scare mongering - I guess they have cured CANCER!!!!

I try very hard now not to read the 9msn page as I just get angry as well as watch news on TV. Since January I have made a point to not watch any news. Its not the truth anyway they just print what they want us to read depending if they are lefties or righties!

@Jacques,

I agree whole-heartedly with everything you have written. That poor man who tragically killed those people in Melbourne with his car is going to be labeled "a monster" and "evil" by the commercial media and it will increase the stigma associated with MI.

He was failed by society and by the courts who should have detained him in a mental health facility for his own safety and the safety of others, rather than release him on bail. He is not evil, but very, very unwell. It will be interesting to see if he is found mentally fit to stand trial.

By the way, there was a great article in today's "The Age" newspaper by a professor of adolescent mental health at Melbourne University, calling for more compassion for those who commit homicide while mentally ill.

Thank you for your words @Sahara, i was so scared to say what i did because ithought people would take it the wrong way or think i am not respectful of the people who where killed.

It is such a shame things have to be this way, i worry for future generations because news is not news anymore, their is no stating the facts, just what is popular on the day. some of the things spoken on news shows is fraudulant and i don't know how in the future people are going to be able to tell fact from fiction, i am struggling to now without lots of research on the issues of the day.

Thank you so much @NikNik for this most important topic, it is a difficult one, but one that needs to be spoken about and acted on.

@NikNik

There is far too much horrible stories on the news daily. And then you see it all over again on facebook. It really brings me down so much. What happened in Melbourne is a terrible reminder that this can happen to any of us and any time.

I have been scared lately to go out to big public outings eg. tennis last week. When i went i sat there at Hisense and was thinking OMG anytime now a bomb could go off or a terrorist attack in here and i was starting to panic. I think it will always be at the back of my mind.

I try to watch very limited news but it's just on everywhere. Can't handle all these horrible stories, tragedies and attacks.

life is not fair..think of all those media people on all the major networks

think of all the $$$$ they earn to do this job...like politicians they earn too much $$$$

I wonder how they spend all that $$$$

now think of the battlers like you and me struggling to survive