ReZoom

Honoring Mental Health Month, the month of May, ReZoom hones in on mental health issues important to baby boomers.

Four or so decades after the Vietnam War was brought "live" into our homes each night, we're left wondering what the constant and noxious stream of real-life trauma from television media is doing to our collective mental health. Long gone are the days of simple reporting, with Walter Cronkite helming us through basic news without sensationalizing the story.

Then as 9/11 unfolded, it was difficult to believe what we were witnessing. We grasped our heads in disbelief, then finally numbed out to the reality of it all. Or did we? Can we develop vicarious traumatization (VT) by watching too much news? VT is well-understood in the therapy community, and counselors watch for it when working with graphic and painful material that clients often present to avoid burn-out. The idea that potentially traumatic events experienced during one's lifetime affect our mental health is widely accepted by researchers, counselors and physicians.

Creating depression and anxiety
This vicariously-taken-in "real" trauma from television day after day, year after year could be contributing to the high numbers of depressive and anxiety disorders in baby boomers.

Research published in the "Archives of General Psychiatry" in 2004, after surveying over 1,800 adults, bears this out and is particularly telling for our children and our children's children. The study assessed whether a lifetime of exposure to adversity was a risk factor for the later onset of depressive and anxiety disorders. It concluded that "chronic or life-long depression is caused by trauma in childhood." The list of early-childhood trauma factors included exposure to violence on television.

Good news doesn't boost ratings
According to several sources within the industry, TV news outlets changed their approach to delivering the news about 15 years ago. One source stated that the media realized they received better ratings, and thus more advertising dollars, when they presented the news from an emotionally charged posture instead of just presenting the facts.

Secondly, because our education level varies so much, it's easier to appeal collectively to people's emotions than attempt to target a certain segment of the population. It's quite typical, as a story breaks, for the media to start with the facts; but after the first 24 hours, they "juice" the details from every emotional angle.

Are we "news" junkies? We've been conditioned to think that staying informed is critical to our survival. But are we better informed ... or are we inoculated by news outlets with their emotional spin on eventsto boost ratings? Bear in mind that the TV media is a multi-billion dollar competitive business. Just a few decades ago, there were three TV stations to capture the morning and evening news. Now we can get "drive-by" media 24/7.

How to unplug from the media "drug"
Similar to the way you make choices to bring balance and harmony into your life by eating better, exercising every day, sleeping eight to nine hours a night, managing stress with meditation and yoga, you can choose to disengage from the media.

1. Start with a one-day fast per week and see how you feel. A sign that you need a mental break is proportionate to how much you have to resist the impulse to plug in.

2. When you do watch the news, keep your antenna tuned in to how much the effect of watching television or listening to news on the radio is disturbing you. Ask yourself, do I feel intellectually stimulated or do I feel negative emotions? Be aware of how heavily motivated the outlet is to get your viewing attention.

3. If necessary, just turn off the television and pick up a good book or get some extra sleep.

View other ReZoom stories on unplugging:

• Delta Dawn
• 21st-Century Treasure Hunting
• Nappers Are Not Slackers