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Reclaiming Your Mind from Information overload and online Toxic contents


We are constantly bombarded with information, but not all information is beneficial to us. While some inspire us, others provoke us, the rest made us sick. 

Many friendships have been strained, or fractured, by heated arguments over online contents that generate varying interpretations. Colleagues provoke colleagues, friends upset friends, and associates feel insulted by the reactions and "clapbacks" to contents shared online. The media often fuels these conflicts, setting the tone for discord with misleading or sensational headlines.

Nobody pays you to read and share bad news, fake, and junk news; nobody will pay you to read and share good news, pleasant news, educating news. You will make the decision.  It's our brains that process and assimilate this information, shaping our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. 

Research has consistently demonstrated the detrimental effects of exposure to negative news. It increases stress, triggering a cascade of physiological and psychological consequences. This includes elevated levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that can disrupt various bodily functions. 

Prolonged exposure to distressing news can even mimic symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), while also exacerbating depressive symptoms like loneliness, hopelessness, and despair. Studies show that just 14 minutes of negative news consumption can lead to a significant increase in anxiety and depressive symptoms. 

This effect is amplified when individuals feel powerless to change the situation.

The pervasive nature of social media further compounds this issue. Its algorithms, designed to maximize engagement, often prioritize sensational and negative content, creating a cycle of addictive behavior and a constant craving for more negativity. 

Clickbait headlines and the relentless stream of negative posts contribute to a toxic online environment. 

Many people suffering this mental health challenges do not however know they are "sick". In most cases, they double down on their activities, believing they are doing other people a favour by magnifying toxic news. They can manifest in tendencies to pick fights over things that do not concern them. 

They may struggle to differentiate between the content of a message and the person who shared or wrote it. When they are presented with evidence of misinformation or countered by sharing of positive news that contradicts their negative worldview, they suffer meltdown.

While reading and exposure to positive information offers numerous benefits,  most people today have become subconscious avid consumers of negative contents.

Just as food is essential for physical health, information is the food of the mind. However, just as some foods are detrimental to our physical wellbeing, some information can be toxic to our mental health. 

Should we avoid all bad news? It depends. 

If you are already struggling with your mental health and have difficulty maintaining self-awareness, limiting exposure to negative contents will benefit you. 

Some people's excuse for consuming and circulating bad news is a misconception that "everywhere is bad news" or "it is trending". This is often fostered by the platforms they frequent. 

We must be intentional about what we consume, who we follow online, and how much time we spend engaging with online contents, especially  those that do not serve any personal benefit.

We must actively seek out positive, educational, and enriching content, focusing on areas like professional development, family-related content, fiction, business information, technology, science, engineering, infrastructure, and leadership development. 

Conversely, we should minimize our consumption of politically and religiously charged contents, which often fuels negativity and division among people.  These two contents generate more negativity than most contents. 

Should you completely avoid politics and religion? That should  be a personal choice. However, when your religious leaders become primarily political agents, using pulpit to bombard you with politically charged divisive sermons, it's essential to protect your mental wellbeing and distance yourself from them. 

While politics itself isn't inherently negative, the current climate of radicalization, tribalism, and negativity surrounding it has turned  it to source of distress for many, leading to learned helplessness. People began to think their personal  problems and challenges can only be addressed by politicians. They completely outsources their responsibilities to politicians while they camp on social media reciting books of lamentation. 

As you match into 2025, with all its promises and potentials, you stand on thresholds of personal history, where you take control of your life and information you consume. You will consciously  or unconsciously make a choice between two paths: becoming a pawn in the hands of those who manipulate information for social gain, or becoming the master of your own narrative, carefully curating the content that nourishes your mind. The power to choose is in your hands. 

I am Isqil Najim follow me on twitter @isqilnajim

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