Wednesday, 4 January 2012
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Many psychologists are keen on pointing out the harmful effects of the media on children, such as cartoons with violence and other mindset-affecting shows. But do you know that what you see on the media daily may actually cause depression? Although it may sound a little extreme, constant bombardment of bad news is actually a surefire way of getting yourself scared, anxious, and worried, and you cannot seem to reason away those feelings!
Some of the ways that media can be harmful in the long run are as follows:
1. The news that we generally see on TV or read on the newspaper can be estimated at over 90% bad news. Think about it. Did you ever sit at the breakfast table in the morning to check for good news? Perhaps you were hoping, but generally, the headlines all blare at you about who was killed where, who was raped by whom, and which neighborhood was struck by earthquakes or fires. Sure, you may think that you want to be updated by what’s going on around the world, but it actually makes you conscious of all the tragedy, to the point that it can stir up constant fear.
2. Movies that we enjoy watching may be entertaining, but when they emphasize negative things like sicknesses, deaths, anything that may make you shed emotional tears out of getting so involved with the story, it has a repercussion on your heart as well. Even if you are not conscious about it, you might wind up internalizing the possibility of illness, and by the time you feel any symptom that seems to resemble those you saw in the movie, you tend to jump to conclusions! This is not beneficial especially in the long run, as it makes you anxious and worried irrationally.
3. Even documentaries can have a similar effect. For example, if you watch a documentary about how burglars usually enter homes, you tend to become conscious about how your home might be broken into! Although it helps in allowing you to make sure your home is burglar-proof, the added worry will only result in more stress that can also translate into anxiety. Discovery stories about certain pathogens or disorders in children can also make you worried!
4. Advertising that interrupts TV movies as well as out-of-home ones not only lure you to want certain items, but it can also affect your self-esteem. Even if you had never had problems with your figure, if you are constantly bombarded with images of sexy, toothpick-thin models, it can have an impact on your general perception of yourself. As such it can lead you to wish you were thinner, or that you had better hair, or better skin tone or teeth. In the end, it can be unhealthy as you wind up feeling dissatisfied with your body or yourself in general. Also, when you can’t get what you want, it can also translate into a lot of unnecessary stress—after all, if you were never conscious of those products in the first place, you would never have desired them!
5. Some genres of music also extol negative emotions, and even contain lyrics about suicidal thoughts. If you constantly listen to these kinds of music, you subject yourself to the temptation of having the same mindset as the writer.
Of course, it is practically impossible to get rid of all our exposure to media. In that case, the best way to deal with them is to feed your mind on good things to counteract the effect of media. You will wind up warding off depression before it takes root. Many people, such as Christians, put high emphasis on renewing their minds with the truth of the Bible in order to silence the clamor of the cluttered media we come in contact to daily. Many can attest to the benefit that comes from this practice, as they seem to be less anxious, less worried, and less fearful than the average person, although their exposure to the same media may be pretty much similar. In the end, what is important is you know how to deal with what assaults your senses, in order to make sure you don’t fall prey to depression without your knowledge!
Depression and Media
Some of the ways that media can be harmful in the long run are as follows:
1. The news that we generally see on TV or read on the newspaper can be estimated at over 90% bad news. Think about it. Did you ever sit at the breakfast table in the morning to check for good news? Perhaps you were hoping, but generally, the headlines all blare at you about who was killed where, who was raped by whom, and which neighborhood was struck by earthquakes or fires. Sure, you may think that you want to be updated by what’s going on around the world, but it actually makes you conscious of all the tragedy, to the point that it can stir up constant fear.
2. Movies that we enjoy watching may be entertaining, but when they emphasize negative things like sicknesses, deaths, anything that may make you shed emotional tears out of getting so involved with the story, it has a repercussion on your heart as well. Even if you are not conscious about it, you might wind up internalizing the possibility of illness, and by the time you feel any symptom that seems to resemble those you saw in the movie, you tend to jump to conclusions! This is not beneficial especially in the long run, as it makes you anxious and worried irrationally.
3. Even documentaries can have a similar effect. For example, if you watch a documentary about how burglars usually enter homes, you tend to become conscious about how your home might be broken into! Although it helps in allowing you to make sure your home is burglar-proof, the added worry will only result in more stress that can also translate into anxiety. Discovery stories about certain pathogens or disorders in children can also make you worried!
4. Advertising that interrupts TV movies as well as out-of-home ones not only lure you to want certain items, but it can also affect your self-esteem. Even if you had never had problems with your figure, if you are constantly bombarded with images of sexy, toothpick-thin models, it can have an impact on your general perception of yourself. As such it can lead you to wish you were thinner, or that you had better hair, or better skin tone or teeth. In the end, it can be unhealthy as you wind up feeling dissatisfied with your body or yourself in general. Also, when you can’t get what you want, it can also translate into a lot of unnecessary stress—after all, if you were never conscious of those products in the first place, you would never have desired them!
5. Some genres of music also extol negative emotions, and even contain lyrics about suicidal thoughts. If you constantly listen to these kinds of music, you subject yourself to the temptation of having the same mindset as the writer.
Of course, it is practically impossible to get rid of all our exposure to media. In that case, the best way to deal with them is to feed your mind on good things to counteract the effect of media. You will wind up warding off depression before it takes root. Many people, such as Christians, put high emphasis on renewing their minds with the truth of the Bible in order to silence the clamor of the cluttered media we come in contact to daily. Many can attest to the benefit that comes from this practice, as they seem to be less anxious, less worried, and less fearful than the average person, although their exposure to the same media may be pretty much similar. In the end, what is important is you know how to deal with what assaults your senses, in order to make sure you don’t fall prey to depression without your knowledge!
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