According to research, constant exposure to negative news might negatively affect our mental health even in peaceful times. People are constantly bombarded with disturbing headlines while coping with a completely unknown health and humanitarian crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Given how frequently people today are exposed to news on radio, television, and social media, people need to consider how much of it is negative or general news. To raise their ratings, many media outlets present a noticeably higher percentage of negative news.
Media outlets are bombarded with images of war, disaster, and suffering, creating a poor perception of the condition of the world.
German physician and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Albert Schweitzer says, happiness is the only thing that grows when you share it. It appears that a significant amount of research backs up the concept that sharing positive news improves everyone’s wellbeing.
The results of research by Nathaniel Lambert of Brigham Young University show the benefits of sharing positive news and experiences. For four weeks, participants kept a record of their positive experiences and shared them twice a week with a partner. Happiness and life satisfaction increased in those who practiced. Additionally, individuals who heard the positive news mentioned feeling happier. In other words, spreading positive news not only makes you feel better, but also makes those around you happier.
In the study What Makes Online Content Viral?, which tracked the circulation of nearly 7000 New York Times articles over the course of three months, it was discovered that positive stories were shared more frequently than negative ones.
These studies are a part of a significant amount of research into how emotions and moods spread among individuals connected through online social networks.
It’s possible and actually rather simple to make yourself and people around you happy. Simply spreading the word is all that is required.
Take it this way: When you share positive news, it spreads to your friends, who then share it with their friends. You can make someone’s day with just one positive post, even if you’ve never met them.
Many people have a tendency to give more importance to negative experiences. By bringing attention to the positive aspects of life, focusing on happy moments and sharing them with others might help combat this inclination.
What is the best way to spread good news? You can share positive news and happy stories with others by going to websites like The Better Cambodia. You can pledge to share more positive news in person and post more positive content on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can create your own strategy for spreading positive news.
It does not mean that all problems in the world should be fully ignored. Instead, a responsible, self-aware person may deliberately select the sources they hear to and proactively control how much negative information they are exposed to.
By balancing sources with positive media outlets, negative consequences of bad news can be prevented and mental health can be protected.
