"Psychologists have a name for this: the "negativity bias." Simply put, our brains are wired to pay closer attention to negative information than positive. For our ancestors, this made sense. Being alert to dangers, such as a storm on the horizon or rustling in the bushes, helped them survive. Those survival instincts remain with us, even though most of our daily threats are no longer life-or-death."
"That is why headlines about disasters, corruption, or failure feel so urgent, while stories about progress or kindness often slip by unnoticed. The media has always recognized this. "If it bleeds, it leads" is not just a cynical phrase; it reflects how reliably we click on alarming or tragic stories. Even in a world where global health, education, and living standards have steadily improved, our news feeds tend to highlight crisis and conflict."
Many people perceive rising negativity in everyday life and online interactions. Human cognition has a negativity bias: brains preferentially attend to harmful or alarming information because it aided ancestral survival. The amygdala responds strongly to negative words and images, making bad news feel more urgent than positive developments. News media favor alarming stories because they attract attention, contributing to a distorted perception despite long-term global improvements in health, education, and living standards. Social media platforms amplify negative, moralized, and emotionally charged content by optimizing for engagement, with anger and outrage spreading faster than neutral or positive material.
Read at Psychology Today
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