Scary news & world events: staying informed without drowning
You can care about the world and still protect your peace. Both can be true at once.
By the numbers
How common news fatigue and news stress really are.
United States
World
Research
Why world news hits so hard
Your brain is built to notice danger, even far away.
Wars, disasters, outbreaks and attacks now reach us within minutes, from every corner of the world. Feeling shaken by that is a normal human reaction, not a weakness. It shows that you care about people, even people you will never meet.
The World Health Organization notes that a sudden, near-constant stream of news reports about a crisis can cause anyone to feel worried. You don’t have to be in the place where it happened to feel it.
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In a study of more than 1,100 people across 17 countries, people watched real news clips while sensors measured their heart rate and skin response. On average, their bodies reacted more strongly to negative stories than to positive ones.
The researchers also found big differences between people. Some react far more strongly than others, and many people want positive news too.
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In a classic experiment, people watched either positive, neutral or negative TV news. Those who watched the negative bulletin felt more anxious and sad, and they were more likely to catastrophize a personal worry that had nothing to do with the news.
So if a bad news day leaves you suddenly worried about your health, money or family, there may be a reason. Your mood after the news can colour how you see everything else.
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After the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, people who took in six or more hours a day of coverage reported more acute stress than some people who were actually there.
The National Center for PTSD notes that images of death and damage can stay in the mind and add to feelings of helplessness.
The distress and scrolling loop
Why the more you watch, the more you want to watch.
Researchers followed more than 4,000 U.S. adults for three years, across two mass violence events. People who took in a lot of coverage of the first event had more stress symptoms afterwards. Those symptoms then predicted heavier viewing when the next event happened, and more distress again.
The researchers called this a cycle of distress and media use. They found the risk of falling into it was even greater for people who had lived through violence themselves.
Signs the news is taking more than it gives
- Feeling anxious or stressed after watching or reading
- Finding it hard to relax or enjoy fun things
- Not being able to turn your news devices off
- Trouble sleeping
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When something scary is happening, checking for updates can feel like staying safe. But a feed never ends, so your brain never gets the signal that you are “done” and can rest.
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The study authors urged people to make more mindful choices about how they stay informed during collective traumas. They did not set a “safe” number of hours. The aim is less total exposure, especially to graphic content.
Try this
- Notice how you feel before you open the news.
- Set a timer for how long you’ll look.
- When the timer goes off, stop and check in with yourself again.
- If you feel worse and learned nothing you can act on, close it.
Build your own news diet
Choose when, how and how much, on purpose.
Think of news like food. You need some to stay informed, but grazing all day on alarming headlines can leave you feeling sick. A news diet is simply a plan for when, where and how you take it in.
During the COVID-19 outbreak, the WHO advised seeking updates at specific times of day, once or twice, from trusted sources, mainly so you can take practical steps for yourself and your loved ones.
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Choosing set times turns checking into a choice instead of a habit. Outside those times, you can tell yourself, “I’ll catch up later.”
Ideas
- After breakfast and after work
- Avoid the hour before bed
- Keep news off during meals
- Turn off breaking-news push alerts
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The National Center for PTSD suggests reading news rather than watching it on TV, apps or online, and learning what happened by talking with other people.
Try
- Choose a written summary or newsletter
- Skip autoplay videos
- Turn off graphic images where your app allows it
- Use radio or a podcast if reading is hard
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Following dozens of accounts means hearing the same frightening story many times, from many angles. A few reliable sources give you the facts without the constant drip.
Look for sources that
- Correct their mistakes openly
- Explain what is known and not yet known
- Separate news from opinion
- Use calm headlines rather than shock
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Try
- Follow a few accounts that share helpers and solutions
- Mute accounts that mostly share outrage or shock
- Mute words linked to a story you’ve already read about
- Unfollow pages that leave you shaken every time
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The National Center for PTSD advises against watching the news just before bed. A calmer evening gives your mind a chance to settle.
Ideas
- Charge your phone outside the bedroom
- Read a book or listen to music instead
- Set a “news off” time each night
- Use a do-not-disturb mode overnight
Between drowning and tuning out
You don’t have to choose between all or nothing.
Around the world, more and more people are stepping back from the news. In 2025, 40% of people across 48 countries and territories said they sometimes or often avoid it. Younger people said they feel powerless in the face of huge problems, and that news can lead to toxic arguments.
Short breaks are healthy. But the researchers behind the problematic news study stress that staying engaged with news is good. The aim is a healthier relationship with it, not cutting it out completely.
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Can look like
- Feeling on edge most of the day
- Losing sleep to late-night scrolling
- Reading the same story many times
- Thinking about the news even when doing other things
If this sounds familiar, try cutting back a little at a time rather than all at once.
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Media also does good. The National Center for PTSD notes that news gives needed alerts, points people to services, and can be a source of community and hope.
Missing safety alerts or important local news can create new stress. A small, steady amount usually works better than none.
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It can look like
- A daily summary at a set time
- A trusted friend who tells you if something big happens
- Local safety alerts left on
- News-free evenings or weekend mornings
Check it before you worry (or share)
Rumours and old clips can spread fear fast.
In a crisis, rumours and false stories often travel faster than facts. The WHO advises getting the facts, not rumours and misinformation, because facts can help to reduce fear.
Researchers at Stanford watched professional fact checkers, historians and college students judge websites. The fact checkers did best and fastest. Instead of studying one page closely, they quickly opened new tabs to see what other sources said about it. This is called “lateral reading.”
A quick check
- Pause. Strong fear or anger is a sign to slow down.
- Ask who is behind it. Open a new tab and search the source’s name.
- Look for the same story from two or three trusted outlets.
- Check the date. Old photos and videos often get reshared as new.
- If you can’t confirm it, don’t share it yet.
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The National Center for PTSD points out that people may be seeing the same event replayed many times, or old clips from past events. This can make the world feel more dangerous than it is.
It can help to remind yourself: “I may be seeing this for the tenth time. It is one event, not ten.”
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Some posts are designed to make you feel afraid or furious so that you click and share. Noticing that pull gives you a moment to choose.
When worry keeps looping
Gentle tools for “what if” thoughts about the world.
World events often bring “what if” thoughts that have no answer. Going over them again and again rarely brings peace. These tools help you give worry a place without letting it run your day.
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The NHS suggests “worry time”: a short daily slot, such as 10 to 15 minutes, to write worries down and look for solutions. When a worry pops up at other times, you tell yourself you’ll deal with it then, and gently come back to the present.
It can feel strange at first. The NHS says it usually gets easier with practice.
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The NHS “worry tree” helps you ask: is this a problem I can do something about? If yes, make a specific plan for what, how and when. If not, acknowledge the worry and shift your focus.
Examples
- “Should I have an emergency kit?” Practical: make a plan
- “What if the war spreads?” A “what if”: notice it, then refocus
- “Is my family overseas safe?” Practical: call or message them
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When news pulls your mind across the world, grounding brings it home. Notice five things you can see, feel your feet on the floor, or take a few slow breaths.
Turning worry into small actions
Doing something, however small, eases helplessness.
Much of what makes world news so heavy is feeling powerless. The National Center for PTSD notes that a sense of empowerment can offset feelings of helplessness.
In a two-week study, adults logged their stress and their small acts of kindness each day. On days when people helped others more than usual, stress had much less effect on their mood and mental health.
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Ideas
- Check on a neighbour or friend who may be affected
- Help at a food bank or local charity
- Hold the door, carry a bag, ask “Do you need a hand?”
- Welcome people new to your community
The helping in the study was everyday and small. You don’t need a big gesture to feel the benefit.
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Ideas
- Donate to a well-known relief group, if you are able
- Learn about the place and people affected
- Reach out to friends with family in the area
- Write a note of support
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After you do your part, it’s okay to put the news down. You don’t have to carry the whole world to show that you care.
When the news is close to home
If it’s about your people, your place or your past.
Some news hits harder because it touches you directly. Maybe your family lives where a disaster struck. Maybe the story is about people who share your faith, background or identity. Or maybe it echoes something you’ve lived through.
Research on mass violence coverage found the risk of a distress loop was greater for people who had experienced violence before.
Read more
Try
- Agree on one way to check in, such as a group chat
- Keep eating, drinking water and resting
- Rely on official updates for the area, not rumours
- Share the waiting with someone you trust
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When an event targets people like you, it can feel personal, even from far away. Being with people who understand can bring comfort and strength.
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Stories about a disaster, attack or war can bring back feelings from something you went through before. Be extra gentle with how much coverage you take in.
How community helps
Hard news is easier to carry together.
The CDC suggests talking with people you trust about your worries, and getting involved with community or faith-based groups. The National Center for PTSD adds that you can stay informed by talking with others instead of watching coverage.
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Ideas
- A faith group, community centre or support circle
- A family dinner with a “news-free” rule after a short check-in
- A phone call with someone who gets it
- A walk with a friend
Read more
Try this
- Notice without judging: “You seem really weighed down by the news lately.”
- Listen first. Let them share what scares them.
- Suggest something together: a walk, a meal, a game.
- Offer to be their “news buddy” who tells them if something important happens.
- If they seem stuck for weeks, gently encourage them to talk to a clinical provider or counselor.
When and where to get help
Signs it’s time to reach out, and where to go.
Reach out to a clinical provider or counselor if…
- Fear about world events is affecting your sleep, work, school or relationships
- Worry or sadness feels constant, even when you take breaks
- Images or news stories keep replaying in your mind
- You feel hopeless about the future most of the time
- You’re having thoughts of hurting yourself
The Disaster Distress Helpline is for anyone in the U.S. and its territories feeling emotional distress from a natural or human-caused disaster. It is free, confidential and open 24/7, with counselors in many languages.
📝 Worksheets for this guide
Fill these in privately in the app. Your answers stay on your phone.
Sources
- Pew Research Center (2020). Almost seven-in-ten Americans have news fatigue, more among Republicans
- Taylor & Francis Newsroom (2022). News addiction linked to not only poor mental wellbeing but physical health too, new study shows (McLaughlin, Gotlieb & Mills, Health Communication)
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (peer-reviewed), via PubMed Central (NIH) (2014). Media’s role in broadcasting acute stress following the Boston Marathon bombings (Holman, Garfin & Silver, PNAS 111(1): 93–98)
- Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, University of Oxford (2025). Digital News Report 2025: Executive summary
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (peer-reviewed) (2019). Cross-national evidence of a negativity bias in psychophysiological reactions to news (Soroka, Fournier & Nir, PNAS 116(38): 18888–18892)
- Science Advances (peer-reviewed), via PubMed Central (NIH) (2019). Media exposure to mass violence events can fuel a cycle of distress (Thompson, Jones, Holman & Silver, Science Advances 5(4): eaav3502)
- University of California, Irvine (UCI News) (2019). Media exposure to mass violence can fuel cycle of distress, 3-year longitudinal study shows
- American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) (2019). Media exposure to mass violence leads to cycle of distress
- British Journal of Psychology (peer-reviewed), via PubMed (NIH) (1997). The psychological impact of negative TV news bulletins: the catastrophizing of personal worries (Johnston & Davey, British Journal of Psychology 88(1): 85–91)
- World Health Organization (WHO) (2020). Mental health and psychosocial considerations during the COVID-19 outbreak
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for PTSD. Media Coverage of Disaster Events
- Stanford University (Stanford Digital Repository) (2019). Lateral Reading and the Nature of Expertise: Reading Less and Learning More When Evaluating Digital Information (Wineburg & McGrew, Teachers College Record 121(11))
- NHS (Every Mind Matters). Tackling your worries
- Clinical Psychological Science (peer-reviewed), via PubMed Central (NIH) (2016). Prosocial Behavior Mitigates the Negative Effects of Stress in Everyday Life (Raposa, Laws & Ansell, Clinical Psychological Science 4(4): 691–698)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Managing Stress
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Disaster Distress Helpline
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Who can I speak to if I want emotional support following a disaster?
This guide is for education and self-care. It is not a diagnosis or a substitute for professional care. Please talk to a counselor or clinical provider about your health. Reviewed October 2026.
