Witnessing anxiety producing events repetitively on social media, tv etc, over and over, harms us.
Catastrophes, war and disasters have sadly always existed, however the availability of information in the digital era has made them a daily presence in our lives, and we re-live them in our living rooms, bedrooms, and personal space, on a daily basis. The side effects of overindulging in this can be serious for people’s mental wellbeing.
To go to the other extreme and avoid information, or be oblivious to what happens around us, is selfish and foolish, as I believe we must not lose an empathetic heart. Also, access to information is a key to having proper awareness of the world we inhabit, and consequently, affects the choices we make.
We must be selective however, with what we see and the reason for seeing it, avoiding at all costs gratuitous images that convert human misery into a circus in which we can became willing spectators.
When we view human suffering as entertainment, we join forces in their victimisation, and most importantly, we steal the only thing left to the poor, the vulnerable, and the powerless – their human dignity.
For some people who witness these tragic events, anguish, fear, and depression can be the immediate response. However, the most serious consequence is the desensitisation to other people’s pain.
This can happen to neurotypicals, but especially to us AS people, who tend to lack filters and who absorb negativity like a sponge. We have difficulty processing information and tend to catastrophise.
In my case, coverage of miscarriages of justice really upset me. When atrocities are committed against the innocent and vulnerable, when people consciously and maliciously destroy individual and collective lives with impunity this hurts me deeply. When I see stories about such events, I am tempted to think that hope is gone, and that everything is doom and gloom and what is the point.
So it is in these moments, when I am sad and overwhelmed, and getting to the point of despondency, that God’s comforting words become my rock and my refuge:
When I said “My foot is slipping,”
Your love, O Lord supported me,
When anxiety was great within me.
Your consolation brought joy to my soul. (Psalm 94)
Do not grieve like the rest of mankind that have, no hope (Thessalonians 4:13-18)
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
I make all things new (Revelation 21:5)
This is the truth that helps me to navigate the world, and I know that He is a promise keeper, and whatever happens with this shell that holds the divine fire is fine with me.
Be First to Comment