I’ve struggled with that dilemma before, but in the end I think it’s not really an either/or. Sure, it’s easy to ‘stay informed’ by reading about upsetting shit on social media but it’s not the only or the best way.
Encountering upsetting and infuriating headlines and news stories at random among more ‘fun’ content adds to the background stress of modern life “don’t relax, a horrible thing is just sound the corner!”. And memes or posts about stuff often simplify complex events and emphasises the emotional horror of the events.
I don’t always suceeed, but I’ve tried to keep away from communities and sites that share politics / world events, but then spend a specific time each week actually reading articles and deeper dives on these issues. When I read a real article, that adds nuance and historical context I’m not less horrified or angry, but it’s in a calmer and more productive sense than just “aaaa the world is fire and everything is awful”.
A_norny_mousse@feddit.org 2 days ago
I found a good rhythm for myself. I’m still subscribed to many political communities but I don’t get involved in every post. Might sound self-evident, but it’s something about letting the first reaction subside and spend just one more second looking at the thing before I decide to click or not.
Also: headlines suck. These days, it seems 99% of media outlets - including the good ones - make clickbait/kneejerk headlines. Most cases, when I read the first paragraph of the article, I go: oooh, that is much less dramatic than I first thought!