Bad news overload: pandemic blurs line between informing public and feeding anxiety

TORONTO -- Scrolling through social media for COVID-19 updates has become a precarious activity for some Canadians, with news of the worsening pandemic becoming harder to escape.Those addressing the public have wondered the same thing.While public health and infectious disease experts need to keep people informed, they say there's a fine line between sharing pertinent information and perpetuating anxieties that have been stewing for months.

He says some experts may worry that hope could lead some people to underestimate the seriousness of the situation, but Chakrabarti doesn't think that's true. Dr. Valerie Taylor, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Calgary, says Canadians generally haven't handled pandemic worries well. She's seen increased cases of depression, psychiatric illnesses and problematic coping strategies including alcoholism.

"Spring normally a sort of renewal, it represents a transition," she said. "But it really feels like, at best, nothing has changed and , we're going backwards." Samantha Yammine, a science communicator who's studied motivational neuroscience, says much of the pandemic messaging has focused on negative reinforcement, warning people "bad things will come" unless they follow the rules.

CTV you are feeding us anxiety especially the ctv news network. For a whole fucking year that's all that CTV news network is covering!!!

You are a Canadian news network, so you could do something to keep people positive, teach people how to manage stress etc.

Well media is doing such a poor job stirring up race hatred and only telling us what it’s wealthy black handlers like Oprah want us to hear anyway I would not worry much about .... anxiety

😂😂 what happened to anxiety pumper ? Company and editorial management changed ? Or admin is drunk 😂😉

And the paid political opinions from Media hired talking head Drs like CTV News employs are at the top of the list. Stick to the facts and stop delivering opinion like equating the effectiveness of lockdowns with cellphone data. Show us the science and medicine supported data.

When media like ShittyNews Toronto start asking people on Twitter to DM them with stories to support yet another negative report for the news hour then media is part of the problem not the solution.

Totally agree especially seniors who hold onto every word.

You guys are guilty of this. Self awareness - 0

Doomscrolling

Sort of like how news media scum blur the line between explaining facts and arguing opinion as facts.

I blame !

Then maybe stop feeding the fear machine eh!?! There's a thought... Maybe hold people (Government at all levels to account) and stop being their lapdogs

This one is on you!

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