We could, and still can, hardly ignore it: rising and falling infection rates, critical columns, press conferences, a colorful map determining vacation plans… Not to mention welcoming and saying goodbye to the enthusiastically announced summer of love within two weeks. Exhausting? Yes. This article offers some tips for staying informed about the world's news, while remaining both optimistic and critical.
The coronavirus pandemic is exposing a phenomenon that has, of course, been around for some time: an information overload. As early as May 2020, the BBC reported that news consumption worldwide had risen dramatically since March of that year. According to psychologists, this increase has led to a growing number of people struggling with chronic fatigue and stress. A become virus experts, which can sometimes lead to heated emotions.
Time to critically examine this ever-flowing news cycle. How do you stay well-informed without going crazy over the daily grind?
Be informed, but read in moderation
It probably sounds familiar: you start your day by skimming the news, and a few hours later (and a bad mood later), you're still clicking away. In times of crisis or uncertainty, many of us pay more attention to the news, searching for answers . At such a moment, it's often difficult to stop yourself.
This phenomenon of sinking into the emotional quicksand of bad accurate cleaned numbers list from frist database news is so common that a term has been coined for it: " doomscrolling ." Not only does the constant clicking on negative messages make us sad, discouraging, or depressing, it also makes us less productive. And less connected to the people around us and to ourselves.
It can be helpful to set fixed times during the day when you can read the news for half an hour, for example in the morning during breakfast or watching the eight o'clock news in the evening.
Recognize fake news
With information overload, and at a time when even a former US president is labeling the press as "fake news" and calling journalists the enemy of the American people, it can be difficult to identify untrue stories.
But how do you do that? Ask yourself these questions while reading a news article, and you'll get a long way:
Who wrote the message and when?
Is the URL credible? Who else might post here?
Did I read the entire post and not just the headline?
Are sources mentioned in the message and can they be checked?
Does the article have an alarming title? Words like "WARNING" or "OH MY GOD" can be distracting and play on emotions. A news report should be objective.
Who is distributing it?
Did you not let me be misled by the design [misuse of NOS logo] and did you look carefully at the rest of a message or video?
Have I checked the journalists and similar articles they have written on this topic?
If you're unsure, the website isdatechtzo.nl is also helpful. It also explains the difference between fake news and satire, which is used by the website De Speld .
