BY: VIVIENNE LEIJDEKKER, CINTIA LOUBES PAGES, LONDON NORE BAUMBUSCH
When Lindsey Vonn, a former gold-medalist in downhill skiing, crashed during this year’s winter Olympics, the replay went viral worldwide almost instantly. Millions of people watched it, while Breezy Johnson’s hard work and well-deserved win went largely unnoticed by the media. This isn’t an event specific to the women’s downhill Olympic ski race; it is a recurring struggle arising from the constant use of social media and online activity.
But why exactly does this happen? Why are the mistakes of Olympians consistently shared and pitied, while the accomplishments of fellow athletes are overlooked? The reason behind this pattern stems from the media carefully selecting news stories that will receive the most attention from viewers.
Social media intends to spread news that draws people in. It prefers to focus mainly on surprising or unexpected events that occur in the world. This is why a certain type of news is found mainly in larger text or first when scrolling on any online or printed news source. This sort tends to fall into a more negative category, as people are attracted to learning about negative news, such as failures, critiques, and drama, rather than positive stories. This attraction relates to the idea of “negativity bias.” When we are confronted with negative information, our brain responds by increasing our alertness and passion. This ultimately makes us want to share this information or learn more about it, and causes one person’s small mistakes to override their opponent’s achievements.
And the problem doesn’t stop at turning hardworking people, like athletes, into background noise; when we overcorrect others’ mistakes, we create a harmful, judgmental environment that doesn’t allow even small mistakes to go unnoticed. Focusing only on those who do something wrong hurts both those who made mistakes and those who didn’t. While negative information may be more captivating, individuals who have achieved significant accomplishments are overshadowed by negative news. At the same time, those who make mistakes receive judgmental attention that is unnecessary and unkind.
Of course, using media and online news sources to spread negative news isn’t solely a bad thing. There are, in fact, many positives to emphasizing the problems present in the world. Specific categories, such as raising awareness, preventing danger, or informing communities of current or upcoming conflicts, are important. These tell us about the times when things have gone wrong in humanity, so we can learn how to prevent them. You aren’t able to know every good and bad thing that happens in the world, so largely centering our attention on the parts that need to be improved is better than focusing solely on the areas that we are already excelling in.
Nonetheless, using negative news to discourage and demean individuals can create a harsh and vulnerable environment. There must also be a limit to how much we spread it and let it affect our interpretation of the world. By focusing only on the mistakes and disorder in society, not only does your view of the world become much darker, but it also begins to silence the achievements and positives in our world. We begin to minimize the big accomplishments of others, stripping them of the attention they deserve.
The overall problem is that people tend to read an article or watch a reel and take in only the information they hear or see, ignoring the context that comes with it. The events we see online are primarily true stories that offer multiple perspectives and additional context to what makes it to the media. So, what can you do? Is there really anything you can do to stop the constant and excessive spread of negative news through social media?
While there may not be a way to eliminate negative news, there are definitely different ways to approach it. The best thing we can do is make sure to remain aware. When you see a negative news story, listen to the story, take in the information, but also remember to think of the opposite side, or the accomplishments that didn’t make it onto your screen. Overall, simply ensuring you are still seeking out the good parts of society and taking time to appreciate them is enough.
From negative social media posts to neglecting positive information, our generation has created online media that leads to public humiliation and unnecessary negative attention. This isn’t just a confined societal issue; it is a global struggle that turns society into a judgmental place where achievements are undervalued. Although having negative news-focused media has its own benefits, current social media has taken this focus too far, making media heavily negative and leaving achievements and positive news overshadowed. It is crucial not to focus only on the world’s mistakes, but also to recognize the impressive accomplishments that deserve recognition.
As surprising as Vonn’s tragic fall was during the Olympics, there are just as many, if not more, successes for us to celebrate. What about Xandra Velzeboer, who set an Olympic world record, or Franjo Von Allmen, who won three different gold medals? The world has so much to admire; we can’t let overpowering negative news stop us from appreciating the talent and good that surrounds us.
Bibliography:
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