There is no doubt that the news plays a crucial role in shaping our minds and behavior. Whenever we hear something related to politics, sports or the entertainment industry, it ends up leaving a positive or negative impact on our brain, depending on the tone, subject and the way of presentation. We all like to follow the news in order to stay in the loop with what’s happening around in the world. But what seems to be an ineffective activity ends up influencing our minds on many levels. Here we have taken a dive into how news changes how we act and think.
It is a predetermined fact that after hearing or reading certain news, various emotions are enabled in our body that essentially impacts our way of thinking. It affects our mood, behavior and the way we respond to things at a given time of day.
Let’s take one example to understand it better, if you are reading a news online on Canadian Parvasi about a sad story of a family man killed in an accident you are bound to feel sad. You may feel sympathy for his wife, kids and other family members and may even be concerned about their well-being and future. Similarly, if you are to hear the news of your favorite actor or singer getting a huge award you will feel happy for them and may even remain joyous throughout the day. News creators craft their need to drive a certain agenda. While it may bear some positive effects but it also possesses the ability to distract people from what is reality. To attract more readers and to increase the reach of their platform, news anchors and writers are constantly using clickbait methods to provoke consumers to click on the news. The way news is presented has reached a level where exaggeration has become pretty common. By introducing the emotional factor in every type of news, the news creators are trying to have a certain impact on the minds of their audience.
Political news for once has become more aggressive than ever. Sometimes news channels use their platform to fulfill their agenda of promoting a particular political party and openly target the other. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that unaltered truth is becoming more and more extinct from the news platforms.
The way news creators craft their news can have a certain effect on the audience’s mind. For example, if they give a positive turn to a story, your perspective will also change the news. Similarly, if they dig deeper into the negative aspects of the news then you may feel bad or angry about the situation.
Here are three ways news plays a part in our thinking and behavior
1. News helps to grow global awareness
News is a powerful tool to inform people about what’s going on in the world. News channels can use this weapon to give people a greater understanding of the biggest events in the world. They can focus on more important stuff rather than including an emotional angel and deliver only the straight truth.
2. News help societies to make important choices
There is no doubt that our perception is highly influenced by the way the news is presented. Getting informed about all the facts will always help you in making better decisions and having the power of knowledge on your hands is a great tool for making important life decisions as a society. For example, by informing us about climate change, news channels can highlight the importance of making eco-friendly choices and taking effective measures to save the environment.
3. Positive news has a positive impact on our minds.
It is pretty obvious that hearing something positive always puts us in a good mood. For example if news channels are focusing on sports women and their accomplishments, it sends a strong message about women empowerment and people are more encouraged to support their daughters and make them make their life decisions.
Disclaimer: The Varsity’s editorial department was not involved.
