The Capitol was stormed on Wednesday, January 8th, and reporters and spectators alike clamored to capture the shocking event. Subsequently, the entire country was alerted of this in mere minutes. Terrifying news drove fear into the hearts of many Americans and the media only justified their feelings. 

News:

Watching the news is one form of media that can decrease people’s mental health. While watching the news can be a great source of real time information, it also has hidden drawbacks. Currently, the world is in a global pandemic and facing racial and political unrest. As soon as someone turns on the TV, someone hears about how the COVID-19 death toll has hit a record number or that there has been a riot in the streets. That is why watching the news can instill fear in the public, which leads to depression. According to thriveglobal.com, “listening to too much news can bring a sense of fear in your mind. Many recent studies prove that people who are taking regular updates regarding the pandemic…are more likely to suffer severe stress.”

Twitter:

Twitter has 321 million active users, it is a main Social Media platform that influences the world. Users can see what celebrities are tweeting, or even get news. The problem with Twitter and most social media platforms is the nonstop scrolling and addictiveness of the app. Psychology Today explains, “We have an idea or think of something funny (trigger), tweet it out (behavior), and receive likes and retweets (reward). This learning process causes a dopamine rush in reward centers of the brain, the Nucleus Accumbens”. There is also a depression problem with Twitter and other platforms, people (especially teens) could get bullied through the app and have to combat against depression. Others can see so much sad or enraging news and become depressed or angry. 

TikTok:

Especially during 2020, influencers on TikTok started to speak out about politics. With that, there are many ranges of opinions throughout the platform that spark controversy and false news. TikTok influencers especially spoke out on the raid of the capitol. It varied from conspiracy theories to memes about the event. This can either help people to become educated on the event or they can easily be influenced by fake news. With this widespread coverage of the event on tik tok, it is easy for people to become overwhelmed. 

Overall, when sharing information just requires one click, people are facing enough stress and chaos without being constantly frightened by what they see in the media. During a global pandemic, it is more important than ever to make sure one isn’t spending too much time watching the news and social media.