Arash Javanbakht, MD, is the founding director of the Stress, Trauma, and Anxiety Research Clinic (STARC) at Wayne State University. Dr Javanbakht and his work have been featured on National Geographic, The Atlantic, CNN, Lancet, Science, NPR, Washington Post, Smithsonian, PBS, American Psychiatric Association, Anxiety and Depression Association of America, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and tens of other media. His clinical and research work is mainly focused on anxiety and trauma-related disorders. In his clinic, he helps civilians and first responders with PTSD, utilizing pharmacotherapy (medication), psychotherapy, exercise, and lifestyle modification.
Article3 min read
Does Watching the News Cause Anxiety?
- Arash Javanbakht MD
- Jacqueline Bullis PhD
- Oct 1, 2025
- 3
It seems like every day there’s a new global catastrophe dominating headlines and flooding your social media feed. With the latest updates from around the world at your fingertips, it can feel impossible to look away. But as we understand more about how watching the news causes anxiety, it might be time to reevaluate how you interact with modern news culture.
Why Does Watching the News Give You Anxiety?
While war, sickness, political turmoil, and natural disasters are all part of the human condition, so are feelings of distress, helplessness, guilt, and anger. It’s entirely normal to experience anxiety over current events – you’re empathetic and that’s a virtue. Staying informed is important, but you should strive to do so in a way that supports your own mental health.
Unfortunately, most major news stories are intentionally reported in a highly emotional way by outlets seeking more viewership. And with coverage more accessible and pervasive than ever, all it takes is a few taps to check for new headlines. This can almost feel addicting; our brains naturally want to seek as much information as possible in an attempt to feel in control. But what your mind truly seeks is answers about what’s going to happen in the future, something no one can predict. As you consume more and more information without getting these answers, news anxiety is almost certain to set in. Constant exposure to negative news also redirects your attention away from the good news and toward more negative news.
Tip sheet:
How to Manage Anxiety Over Current Events
- Try to only consume news that is personally helpful to you or essential to stay informed about.
- Be selective about where you get your news from. Many outlets are biased and prone to delivering news in an overly emotional or sensationalized manner. When possible, get information directly from firsthand sources such as public authorities and international organizations. If you watch cable news, choose reporters with less emotional tones.
- Set boundaries around how frequently you consume news. For example, you might decide to check one or two trusted sources once per day.
- Mute or unfollow friends who share anxiety-inducing posts on social media.
- If you do feel anxious about a particular event, lean into your anxiety by accepting the emotion you’re experiencing and trusting that it will eventually fade away.
- Establishing a daily gratitude practice (it can be as quick and simple as naming three positive things that happened during your day while brushing your teeth!) can help reduce stress and anxiety and rewire your brain to look for the good things happening around you.
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