News consumption significantly impacts our mindsets and behaviours, which is why conducting a news consumption audit is essential. As we navigate an increasingly negative news landscape, research shows that both the portrayal of information and our reactions to it can affect our emotional state and social trust.

Klaudia explores how traditional news reporting has shifted towards more negative headlines, leading to increased anxiety and a skewed perception of reality. She highlights the importance of balancing negative news with positive, solution-focused stories to foster a healthier mindset.

By reflecting on our news habits and seeking diverse perspectives, we can better manage our emotional responses and cultivate a more positive outlook on the world.

Hello happiness seekers. My name is Klaudia.

Welcome to the Happiness challenge, the podcast where I test drive the best happiness hacks that science has on offer so that we can create more happiness in our lives.

And in the previous episode 127, we heard from Amy Davoren-Rose, creative director from Fix the News the independent publication that reports good news from around the world. And in this short episode, part two, I share with you some surprising ways the news can can shape our mindset and behavior.

And why is it worth to complete your news consumption audit? Join me so I think we can all definitely agree that these days, news seems to be everywhere.

So even if as a person, we don't follow the news by reading regularly selected publications or watching specific news channels, we are confronted with news through social media. And because we often take news for granted, news equals hey, this is reality of the world.

We rarely question their content and their impact on our happiness. However, there is more and more research suggesting that we actually should be doing the opposite.

We should be paying close attention to our news consumption because the impact of the news on our mindset, behavior, emotions, is really significant. So here are three insightful findings for you to consider when it comes to news consumption.

Number one is that traditional news is getting more negative the way they portray information.

And on the other hand, they've seen a really significant reduction in news that contain neutral headlines, that just stating the factual information, which I think is really interesting to know that the headlines, the way information is portrayed, is becoming more negative. But what's also interesting to note is that we, as readers or consumers of the news, we are guilty as well, because we are fueling that cycle.

So research shows that for every negative word that is included in average headline, the readership of that piece of news increases by 2.3%. So ultimately, we are drawn to reading negative headlines. And the news networks, the news publications, are very much capitalizing on that fact.

The interesting insight about how news impact our happiness and behaviors and well being is that it really does impact everything from our brain, emotions and behavior. So there are three really interesting aspects to realize.

First of all, where researchers found that if we are constantly scrolling through multiple news items. And we are very much engaging only with fast news without stopping to critically evaluate. What are we reading?

Actually, our brain sales are decreasing in the parts of the brain responsible for attention span and critical evaluation, which I think is like, wow, that is actually scary. Fast news actually make us slightly dumber when it comes to that critical evaluation.

The second really important aspect of news and its impact is that it, of course, impacts our emotional state. Yes, when we see something upsetting, we will empathize and will be upset, but the news prolong our emotional negative state.

And the research shows that people's stress level were actually much higher four weeks after the event than immediately during the event, which really means that for four weeks, people were reading those negative coverage news, and they were getting stressed and more stressed and more stressed to the point that people were more stressed than when actually the event taking place. And the final one is that news do change the way we think and therefore the way we behave.

So studies suggest that viewing negative news articles lowers actually social trust and faith in humanity, because we're thinking, oh, my God, all of this is happening. You know, it's awful out there.

So if we are seeing lots of negative news and we are not critically evaluating them, and we're losing that trust in other human beings, studies shows they'll be less likely to then help a stranger on the street, which then really very much fulfilling that prophecy, that people are unkind, that people are evil, that people are not helping one another. The final aspect here is that ditching the news is not an answer.

So you might be saying, okay, great, Claudia, so you're telling me that this traditional news is getting more negative. You're telling me that it really impacts negatively my brain, my emotions, my behavior, I will just ditch the news?

Well, actually, that's not the answer.

It's actually very much counterproductive, because what it means is that if we withdraw ourselves from the news, we then start relying on two pieces of information of what's happening out there. We're relying on what people tell us, and often that's their opinion, not factual information.

And we start relying on actually our own imagination of what is happening in the world. And actually, research shows that we'll be catastrophizing and we'll be having even more extreme worst case scenarios.

So ditching the news is not the solution. What is the solution?

Well, the solution is to understand our news consumption and as inspired by, of course, my guest Amy from Fix the news is to really start incorporating in our news consumption more positive, solution focused headlines. So this month, I'm daring you to conduct your news consumption audit. Really reflect how are you engaging with news?

And I have six questions that are very much worth answering and worth pondering upon. So first question is, on average, how often do you engage with news? Is it daily? Is it weekly? Is it monthly?

So the idea here is to understand how often are you exposed to news and actually think about is that the amount you are happy with? And also maybe think a little bit about the reasons here.

Is it you're engaging with the news because you want to know, you are curious about certain information? Or is it your fear, anxiety, worry that is keeping you engaging with news headlines?

Second question is what are the key emotions that you experience when you consuming news?

So again, because we have those studies that show that whatever we feel after the news consumption will impact our mindset and behavior, it's important to understand how different news channels news sources make you feel. Three, how do you engage with news so specifically more about is it online? Is it on the radio? Is it via social media?

Are you receiving certain newsletters? Are you following certain publications?

And this is very much for us to think that we can get in a habit of engaging with certain news publications, but of course they will be presenting a certain perspective. So how could we expand our sources of news for the diversity of thought and different ways of thinking?

Number four is what type of news do you tend to consume? Is it a slow journalism? Is it fast news?

As already mentioned, actually slow journalism is better for our brain because we have to critically evaluate what are we seeing? What are we reading? So think about what type of news do you consume? How could you maybe think about that?

Slow journalism element number five is when was the last time you consumed a solution focused article to some of the world problems? So this is really understanding how much input do you get in your news consumption from that perspective of positive news?

So all the aspects that we humans actually are doing right, all of the solutions and innovations that are happening at the global scale every day, are you balancing that traditional negative news consumption with information about what is going well in the world?

Because again, very interesting research that watching news stories about positive actions do lead to better mood and therefore results in us restoring that faith in goodness of humanity and also wanting to be part of those solutions. And number six, the final question here to reflect on is how often do you take time to find alternative perspective to the c news.

So this is fantastic suggestion from my guest Amy from the Fix the news, because if we consume news about certain topics, and maybe it is this particular topic that makes us anxious, we very much care about that topic. We worry about what the future will bring in relation to it.

Then it's really important to think how often do we stop to find positive solution based news in relation to that topic so we can understand it more holistically and therefore think, okay, what solutions are being created in relation to this potentially upsetting on worrying headline?

And again, research shows that adopting a positive or solution focused approach to, for example, topics like climate change as opposed to only reading negative approach with doom and gloom and we all going to die, can actually inspire that pro environmental action among people who consume that more solution focused approach to climate change. I hope these questions are useful for you to stop and reflect on your news consumption.

I definitely will be having a closer look at my news consumption, so I will definitely see you at the end of the month for some further tips when it comes to engaging web news and their impact on our happiness. In meantime, I dare you to be happy. See you later. Bye.