The modern media landscape is one of constant negativity, and in a time when social Engineers want us divided and depressed maintaining healthy habits is more important than ever.
When it comes to healthy media habits, most people automatically assume we're talking about the news media we consume on a regular basis and the importance of due diligence—careful scrutiny of sources, fact-checking, critical analysis, and consideration of alternative viewpoints to maintain a well-rounded perspective.
While it’s true that all of these things are critically important—especially during a time when the information war is at its height and propaganda is more pervasive than ever—there’s another aspect of media consumption that doesn’t receive as much attention: its effect on our mental health and overall well-being.
In this regard, we aren’t simply talking about news media but all of the media we consume regularly, often daily. While that may include news, it also encompasses social media, television and movies, music, and even paper media such as books and magazines.
Every piece of media we consume helps shape our perspective. It informs our understanding of the world, introduces new ideas, and influences our outlook. Of course, this can have both positive and negative impacts.
Whether one is a seasoned veteran of the media landscape—regularly perusing and consuming news from their preferred sources to keep up with the most important stories of the week—or simply the average Joe or Jill casually scrolling Facebook on their lunch break, the media we’re exposed to has a profound effect on the most important organ in our body: the brain. From there, that effect manifests in a host of psychological and physiological ramifications.
In this ever-changing world of nonstop news cycles, where headlines seem to grow more absurd by the day, it’s easy to feel increasingly overwhelmed. For those who keep up with daily political developments, it can become incredibly taxing.
We’ve all felt it—that kind of media burnout that overtakes you from time to time. The unending deluge of propaganda, the constant frustration of seeing authoritarianism take hold, nefarious agendas being implemented, and the sense of disappointed futility that comes from watching peers and loved ones fall for the same mind games over and over again.
To be aware of the harsh realities of our political climate and the encroaching tyrannies therein—and to still see those we care about blindly, sometimes even gleefully, embrace the tools of their own oppression—can be particularly disheartening.
An Old Norse proverb recounts the burden of knowing too much:
“A wise man’s heart is seldom joyful.”
This sentiment, attributed to the 54th stanza of Hávamál, illustrates that with knowledge comes the hardship of being aware of what others are not.
It’s profoundly ironic that bliss can be found in ignorance and that knowledge, while onerous, is also powerful—and with that power comes great responsibility.
The power of one’s knowledge, and the responsibility it bears, is one of our greatest strengths. This is precisely why, with regard to our constant media consumption, we should always keep in mind that the overwhelming majority of media we consume—or, more aptly, that which is fed to us—is deliberately used as a tool of social engineering.
The media apparatus functions as a behavioral modification mechanism—from the days of junk science ad campaigns selling cigarettes to our carefully curated news feeds complete with echo chambers and automatic feedback loops that thrive on keeping us in a constant state of disarray.
From news coverage to the latest social media trends, much of what fills the airwaves deliberately perpetuates negativity—fear, stress, anger, anxiety, and depression—because, on a psychological level, inducing these states in people makes them easier to manipulate and control.
To put it quite frankly, the powers that should not be want us in a constant state of low-vibrational negativity. That’s exactly why maintaining healthy media habits is profoundly important: to counteract negative programming and decompress from informational overload.
Some helpful strategies include purposefully seeking out positive media outlets that specialize in reporting good news, such as SunnySkyz, Positive.News, or the Good News Network, to counterbalance some of the junk in our news feeds.
It’s also worth intentionally seeking out content that makes you happy—whether that’s art, music, comedy, or something else. Those small hits of serotonin go a long way. One of my personal favorites is looking at natural landscape photography; it reminds me of the beauty of our planet and how wonderful it is to be here.
Likewise, news reports that highlight human kindness—such as those covered in the aforementioned positive news outlets—go a long way toward reminding us of the beauty of our shared humanity, which is particularly important when propaganda seeks to keep us divided against one another.
But arguably the best tactic is to simply disconnect and recharge. Set aside time to exist in the physical world. Log out of your accounts, set your device aside, and rest. Sit in silence for a while. Meditate. Go outside and take a deep breath of fresh air. Walk around and truly observe your surroundings. Engage in a hobby that brings you happiness. Contemplate how truly special life is and how blessed you are to be here in this moment.
I’ve personally found that practicing mindfulness and gratitude is an incredibly powerful tool for self-regulation and improving overall mood. Because of the hustle and bustle of our lives, it’s easy to fall into the trap of taking the most fundamental aspects of our existence for granted.
Truly take stock of your blessings. If you are an able-bodied person with full functionality of your limbs and mental faculties, remind yourself that not everyone is so fortunate. If you have clean water, nutritious food, a comfortable bed to sleep in, a roof over your head, and people who love you, take a moment to recognize what a blessing it is to have all of those things.
Remind yourself how truly special it is to be here in this very moment—to be this sentient creature existing on a floating rock hurtling through the endless expanse of space. Out of all the billions of years that have passed, the odds of you being here right now are so astronomically small it may as well be a miracle. You are a miracle. And everything and everyone around you is a miracle.
Healthy media habits are just one element of healthy life habits, which are, in turn, an expression of self-love. You are a beautiful, powerful, free human being, and no amount of media manipulation should ever make you forget that. Yes, things can seem hectic on a regular basis, but we should never become so fixated on the chaos that we forget what’s truly important—or the fact that, by every measurable statistic, we are still living in the most peaceful, prosperous time in all of human civilization.
So take a moment. Unplug from the world on the screen and reconnect with the reality around you. Take a breath—and remember that life is beautiful.