If you have been going through a nagging feeling that the world is increasingly becoming a horrible place after reading or watching the news, you may be susceptible to negative bias. Negative bias is a general asymmetry in how we process positive or negative information, with negative information taking a weightage. Journalism and media outlets tend to push negative stories and news because it is sudden and shock-worthy. This means that crime, war and terrorist attacks are more “news-worthy” and profitable than peace and stability (referred to as human interest fluff).

 We react more strongly to these tales than we do to positive or even neutral ones, which is why we are surrounded by so much negative news. Stuart Soroka and Stephen McAdams exposed individuals to unfavourable news while observing their physiological reactions in a different investigation. They discovered that bad news causes us to become more emotionally aroused, attentive, and reactive. On Heinz's side, there is no discernible impact of good news. Media outlets that favour negative news cause our biological responses, which makes us more willing to subscribe, click, and share.

The impact of negative news has a very obvious grip on our mental health as well. In one study, researchers discovered that participants who watched news coverage of the Boston Marathon bombings for six or more hours felt higher stress than those who were actually participating in the marathon. According to another study, people who watched nonstop coverage of domestic terrorist acts were more likely to acquire post-traumatic stress disorder.

Additionally, receiving bad news gives us a distorted view of the world in addition to having an impact on our mental health.

So, why are we collectively so sensitive towards negative information?

 Perhaps as a result of our evolution to concentrate on risks in our surroundings, negative stories have a greater connection with us. To begin with, our tendency to focus on information that is bad rather than positive was passed down to us by our evolutionary predecessors who lived in caves. The ability to recognise danger, sometimes known as "the bad stuff," was crucial back then. Human beings have an inherited gene that makes us more susceptible to react to negative stimuli that could potentially harm us.

As our systems attempt to keep us safe, concentrating on the "bad stuff" is comparable to experiencing pain. In addition, negative emotions activate the amygdala, the almond-shaped brain region that psychologists refer to as "the alarm bell of your brain." About two-thirds of the amygdala's neurons are used to search for unfavourable news. Negative experiences and events are swiftly preserved in memory as the alarm goes off, while positive ones typically need to be kept in mind for a dozen or more seconds in order to move from short-term memory buffers to long-term storage.

Knowing this, how do we handle, or cope with the negative bias?

●     Talking to oneself as you would a friend is a strategy that might seem unusual at first but can help you address your critical inner voice with kindness. Asking oneself "Are you okay?" when unfavourable thoughts arise will help. The goal is to politely cut yourself off whenever you begin to criticize yourself. Similar to the Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," this principle calls for treating oneself with the same respect and consideration that one shows to the people one cares about. Learn to rejoice in minor triumphs while being aware that you can experience days of relapse. All of it is a normal aspect of learning and development.

●     How we talk to ourselves about our experiences is the single most significant underlying influence. You are more likely to have fulfilling experiences in life if you push yourself to be mindful of your daily routines and recognise what is and isn't significant.

●     In order to prevent yourself from being overpowered by the negative, you basically need to be present to fully value all the wonderful and positive aspects of your life. You can strive to enjoy the positive aspects of your life, no matter how minor they may be, even if you are dealing with a lot of objectively bad circumstances.

●     When destructive patterns begin to emerge, be prepared to gently recognise what is occurring and practise doing anything, even something very tiny, to break the cycle. Take note of your negative self-talk and replace it with constructive actions.

●     Find a routine or pastime that prevents you from overanalyzing (if you tend to focus on the bad aspects of things), such as reading, going for a run, organising your home, or making a cheerful music playlist.

Looking out for and searching for more neutral and/or positive news every once in a while could help too!

Like always, it’s vital to remember that growth is a slow and often painstaking process. It is going to be excruciating trying to overcome something like negative bias when it is so prominent. The key is to be kind and understanding to everyone and ourselves. It's crucial to keep in mind how much control you have over whether unfavourable remarks affect you or not. It is a well-known maxim of Eleanor Roosevelt that "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." Refuse to allow yourself to be made to feel inferior.