Every day, we are inundated with news stories about tragedies, disasters, and conflicts from around the world. No matter where we turn, there seems to be a never-ending stream of negative news. Despite this, we cannot seem to get enough of it.

We are addicted to negative news, and we are often left wondering why.

Is negativity bias to blame?

One possible explanation that psychologists have suggested for our attraction to negative news is our negativity bias. This is the idea that humans tend to pay more attention to negative information than positive information.

Essentially, our brains are wired to react more strongly to negative events, as they have been historically been more important for our survival. Negativity bias is believed to have been useful for our ancestors, as it would have helped them identify potential threats in their environment and respond accordingly.

Although we no longer live in an environment where we need to be on constant lookout for danger, the negativity bias is still very much a part of our psychological makeup.

It explains why we might be more likely to tune into the news when we hear a headline about a terrorist attack rather than a report on a new healthcare plan.

Why do we feel the need to stay informed?

Another reason why negative news might be more attractive to us is that we feel a need to stay informed about what is happening in the world.

If we are not aware of the negative events that are taking place around us, we might feel like we are missing out on important information that could impact our lives.

Additionally, staying informed can give us a sense of control over our lives. By knowing what is happening in the world, we can prepare ourselves and take steps to protect ourselves and our loved ones.

Social comparison is another psychological principle that might explain why we are so attracted to negative news.

This is the tendency that people have to compare themselves to others, and it can make us feel better about ourselves when we see others doing worse.

By reading about the misfortunes of others in the news, we might feel a sense of relief that we are not experiencing the same negative events in our lives. We might feel grateful for what we have and feel better about our own situations.

Do the media have a role to play?

While there are many psychological reasons why we might be attracted to negative news, the media has also played a role in the prevalence of negative news stories.

The media is often criticized for focusing too much on negative news, as it tends to get higher ratings and more clicks than positive news stories.

This means that the media has an incentive to focus on negative news stories, as they know that this is what their audience wants.

This can create a negative feedback loop where the media continues to produce negative stories because that is what gets the most attention, and the audience becomes more and more addicted to negative news as a result.

Conclusion

In conclusion, our attraction to negative news is likely a result of several psychological factors, including our negativity bias, our need to stay informed and our tendency to engage in social comparison.

While these factors explain why we might be attracted to negative news, the media also plays a role in promoting negative news stories. It is important for us to be aware of our attraction to negative news and to make a conscious effort to seek out positive news stories as well.