Welcome to 2026! I’m willing to bet that this year will be filled with news reports that have the potential to be very upsetting for many people. We’re off to a horrific start with the Minneapolis shooting, and a video that has the potential to haunt some folks for a long time. Can that video be so upsetting that it actually causes significant increases in your stress levels? In general, can you be negatively affected by saturation media coverage of real events? In addition to tragic events like Minneapolis, regularly we see, and read about, in-depth coverage of mass shootings, horrible scenes of combat carnage and destruction, and gut-wrenching interviews with survivors of trauma. This year, of course, will also include election issues that have the potential to be exceptionally stressful. At a time when statistics show an alarming increase in mental-health problems, the question arises: “Can frequent coverage of horrendous events traumatize you to the point that psychological problems develop?”
In 2001, Propper was teaching a course on sleep and dreaming at a college in the Boston area. The course was already underway, and students had begun recording and documenting their dreams, when the events of 9/11 unfolded. Thus, Propper and her associates had an opportunity to assess trauma themes in dreams both before and after 9/11, and to relate them to amount of TV viewing of the 9/11 coverage.
Analysis of students dreams before and after 9/11 demonstrated not only that post-9/11 dreams changed significantly compared to pre-9/11 dreams, but also that the dreams could be linked to amount of TV viewing of the horrific events. After 9/11, dreams contained more threat and danger themes and images, and more negative emotions expressed. These themes, images, and emotions tended to increase as the amount of time watching TV coverage increased. Thus, to the extent that dreaming can reflect efforts to process and resolve trauma and conflict, the authors concluded that extensive viewing of TV coverage of the 9/11 events served to increase trauma and conflict in viewers. It is also of particular interest to note that the students who spent more time talking with friends and relatives about the events of 9/11 did not show these threatening themes and negative emotions in their dreams. This finding is consistent with evidence from clinical psychology showing the therapeutic effects of talking with significant others following a personal trauma.
Propper believes the results show how media coverage of an event can negatively affect the emotional well-being of viewers. Reporting an event is one thing; saturating coverage with repeated replays over an extended period is quite another. Furthermore, if that coverage makes talking with friends and relatives less likely, then the negative effects of the saturation coverage are greatly compounded.
You might ask, “Should I switch channels when coverage of horrific events is on?” No, at least not all the time. That would be avoidance of facing uncomfortable aspects of reality. Such avoidance on a regular basis would help make you unable to process and cope with troubling realities. Face those realities, but make sure you talk them over with others to help you manage your coping efforts.
Avoiding troubling political news, of course, can be easy: Just limit yourself to media sources that reflect your beliefs. However, that selectivity would be an example of avoiding facing uncomfortable aspects of reality, and could be more psychologically damaging than simply avoiding all political news. Adhering only to media sources that support your opinions will help you both avoid and degrade the unpleasant, and likely obstruct your ability to process, evaluate, and cope with troubling information. Do not be afraid, therefore, to familiarize yourself with positions that run counter to your opinions. Doing will help you accept reality and evaluate information logically and calmly.
However, you need not succumb to excessive anxiety from media exposure. You can arm yourself against emotional upheaval by exercising and living a fairly healthy lifestyle; by educating—not indoctrinating—yourself with verifiable facts; by having healthy, adult, rational interactions with others; by empathizing and understanding the needs of others; by serving those in need; by enjoying nature—hearing the birds chirp, smelling the vegetation, seeing the vast array of plant colors, and basking in the warmth of the sun. Psychological research documents the beneficial effects of these coping tools that are all around you, tools that we know can combat anxiety, depression, and other debilitating feelings. Use them.
Psychology and Stress 