{"id":79797,"date":"2026-03-10T01:51:48","date_gmt":"2026-03-10T05:51:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=79797"},"modified":"2026-03-10T01:51:48","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T05:51:48","slug":"digital-media-is-using-negativity-to-steal-our-attention-heres-how-to-reclaim-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/digital-media-is-using-negativity-to-steal-our-attention-heres-how-to-reclaim-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Digital media is using negativity to steal our attention \u2014 here\u2019s how to reclaim it"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-79798\" src=\"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/polycrisis.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"680\" height=\"453\" srcset=\"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/polycrisis.jpg 680w, https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/polycrisis-250x167.jpg 250w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>With the internet and its widespread accessibility, many of us have front-row seats to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/youthendowmentfund.org.uk\/news\/70-of-teens-see-real-life-violence-on-social-media-reveals-new-research\/\">widespread suffering and death across the globe<\/a>\u00a0for the first time in history, even when we are not directly affected.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re living in what scholars describe as\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/journals\/global-sustainability\/article\/global-polycrisis-the-causal-mechanisms-of-crisis-entanglement\/06F0F8F3B993A221971151E3CB054B5E\">a \u201cpolycrisis\u201d<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 a set of interconnected crises that compound and intensify one another. Climate change intensifies displacement and conflict, economic precarity fuels political extremism and public health emergencies expose structural inequality.<\/p>\n<p>As a result, the future can feel more uncertain than ever. If you feel\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.apa.org\/monitor\/2022\/11\/strain-media-overload\">overwhelmed by the constant influx of bad news<\/a>\u00a0and find it difficult to focus on day-to-day tasks, that response is understandable.<\/p>\n<p>But research in psychology and cognitive science suggests there are ways to fight back against this and reclaim your attention.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>The business model of outrage<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Developing a critical awareness of how digital systems operate is an important first step. This sense of overwhelm is deliberately amplified by the way digital platforms and their profit-driven algorithms are designed.<\/p>\n<p>Many of us go online to cope with stress or to escape, but the content that captures our attention most effectively often makes it worse.<\/p>\n<p>Content that provokes anger, fear or moral outrage generates higher engagement.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41562-023-01538-4\">Negative headlines tend to attract more clicks<\/a>\u00a0than positive ones, creating incentives for media outlets to push content that increases engagement.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC10202797\/\">One study found<\/a>\u00a0that social media users are nearly twice as likely to share negative news articles that\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/bjop.12389\">evoke strong negative emotions<\/a>. Each interaction \u2014 a like, share or comment \u2014 signals to algorithms that similar content should be shown again. Increased engagement also reinforces users\u2019 continued posting of negative material.<\/p>\n<p>The result is a positive feedback loop in which emotionally charged content is amplified, often leading to the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.tics.2023.06.008\">spread of misinformation and sowing of conflict<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Your brain in a 24\/7 threat environment<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Part of why we are so drawn to outrage lies in human neurobiology. Studies show that we choose to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cpsa-acsp.ca\/papers-2013\/Trussler-Soroka.pdf\">read more negative or cynically framed news stories<\/a>\u00a0even when positive stories are also available.<\/p>\n<p>Much of this is just how humans have been wired: we evolved to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1037\/1528-3542.4.3.312\">pay attention to the most threatening stimuli<\/a>. From a very early age, we show a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/2043808719860717\">biased attention<\/a>\u00a0toward spiders, snakes and threatening faces, which activate an acute stress response from the sympathetic nervous system and trigger a fight-or-flight response.<\/p>\n<p>However, we have only just recently started living in a world where negative stimuli are constantly at our fingertips. Digital media now\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.copsyc.2023.101770\">intentionally uses these neural biases to hijack our attention<\/a>\u00a0for profit.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, we can only pay attention to so much at once. Our cognitive capacity is limited by what psychologists call our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1098\/rstb.2013.0205\">perceptual load<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019ve ever tried to work in an environment with many distractions \u2014 like in an office with construction next door \u2014 or attempted to juggle multiple tasks at once, you have experienced how quickly your attention can fragment. Multitasking\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/think-youre-good-at-multi-tasking-heres-how-your-brain-compensates-and-how-this-changes-with-age-218343\">typically results in poorer performance across tasks<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Doomscrolling and the stress spiral<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>This is where\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/doomscrolling-is-literally-bad-for-your-health-here-are-4-tips-to-help-you-stop-190059\">doomscrolling<\/a>\u00a0enters the picture. Doomscrolling refers to compulsive scrolling through negative news on digital platforms.<\/p>\n<p>An unlimited stream of negative information that our brains must both react to (through sympathetic arousal) and sort through (perceptual load) can lead to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.actpsy.2022.103534\">information overload<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.apa.org\/news\/press\/releases\/stress\/2022\/march-2022-survival-mode\">chronic stress<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Stress and perceptual load interact to worsen our attention and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/17470218.2011.648944\">diminish performance on certain attention-demanding tasks<\/a>, suggesting that each utilize similar attentional resources.<\/p>\n<p>You may find yourself in a vicious cycle:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s12264-020-00549-9\">stress impairs your attention<\/a>\u00a0and task performance, leading to more stress, which then worsens your attention. You may then reach for your phone seeking distraction or relief, only to encounter more alarming content.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2196\/68640\">Research shows doomscrolling<\/a>\u00a0is more likely to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s11482-022-10110-7\">cause psychological distress<\/a>\u00a0and worsen mental well-being, since the content that we are using to distract ourselves is often negative.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>How to reclaim your attention<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>In the face of our current global polycrisis, the algorithmic manipulation of our emotions poses a serious challenge. If you want to interrupt this cycle, research suggests there are several practical steps you can take.<\/p>\n<p>First, try to reduce time online. A particularly healthy time to be screen-free is before bed as\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/sleepeducation.org\/screen-time-and-sleep-what-new-studies-reveal\/\">screens can negatively impact sleep<\/a>. Notably,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.apa.org\/news\/press\/releases\/stress\/2013\/sleep\">poor sleep can lead to stress<\/a>, and high\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/sleepeducation.org\/how-stress-anxiety-and-depression-are-stealing-your-sleep\/\">stress can impair sleep<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Second, replace screen time with new hobbies. Behavioural economics shows that reducing unwanted behaviour, such as\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/16066359.2025.2609634\">drinking alcohol<\/a>, may be easier when people\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s44159-023-00167-y\">engage with other activities<\/a>\u00a0they enjoy. Ride a bike, do a puzzle or take a cooking class.<\/p>\n<p>Third, reduce stress through\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC4013452\/\">exercise<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/28863392\/\">meditation<\/a>\u00a0or spending time with\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.apa.org\/monitor\/2023\/06\/cover-story-science-friendship\">friends<\/a>\u00a0to break the negativity cycle. Form new, healthy\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.pnpbp.2021.110294\">habits that bring you joy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>But perhaps the most important step is simply becoming more aware of the behind-the-scenes forces vying for our attention that exploit our most visceral emotions.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2196\/68640\">While we shouldn\u2019t completely disengage from the news media<\/a>, we need to better equip ourselves to defend against these threats to our attention and well-being.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Author Bio:<\/strong> Megan Shipman is a Behavioural Neuroscientist and Fellow at the Cascade Institute at Royal Roads University and Zachary Pierce-Messick is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With the internet and its widespread accessibility, many of us have front-row seats to\u00a0widespread suffering and death across the globe\u00a0for the first time in history, even when we are not directly affected. We\u2019re living in what scholars describe as\u00a0a \u201cpolycrisis\u201d\u00a0\u2014 a set of interconnected crises that compound and intensify one another. Climate change intensifies displacement [&hellip;]\n&hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/world.edu\/digital-media-is-using-negativity-to-steal-our-attention-heres-how-to-reclaim-it\/\" class=\"more\">learn more&rarr;<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[95],"tags":[435646],"coauthors":[11733],"class_list":["post-79797","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-lifestyle","tag-polycrisis"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Digital media is using negativity to steal our attention \u2014 here\u2019s how to reclaim it - World leading higher education information and services<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/world.edu\/digital-media-is-using-negativity-to-steal-our-attention-heres-how-to-reclaim-it\/\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Digital media is using negativity to steal our attention \u2014 here\u2019s how to reclaim it - World leading higher education information and services\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"With the internet and its widespread accessibility, many of us have front-row seats to\u00a0widespread suffering and death across the globe\u00a0for the first time in history, even when we are not directly affected. We\u2019re living in what scholars describe as\u00a0a \u201cpolycrisis\u201d\u00a0\u2014 a set of interconnected crises that compound and intensify one another. 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