Negativity has always had a peculiar hold over the human mind. Psychologists describe it as “negativity bias,” our tendency to give more weight to adverse experiences than to positive ones. Evolutionarily, it helped us survive by paying closer attention to threats. But in modern society, this bias, magnified by media and digital platforms, has become corrosive. When people are surrounded by negative voices and stories, shapes how individuals think and influence how entire communities behave.
At the psychological level, constant exposure to negative content heightens anxiety, insecurity, and cynicism. People begin to perceive the world as unsafe and unstable, even when their immediate reality may not reflect such extremes. This distortion creates a collective sense of fear, resignation, or anger. When large numbers of people start thinking this way, society becomes weighed down by fear and suspicion rather than optimism and creativity.
The social impact is even more troubling. Communities that are repeatedly reminded of what is wrong can lose sight of what is right. Trust between people weakens, and cooperation gives way to blame. Instead of working together on solutions, people retreat into anger or indifference. A society shaped by negativity struggles to encourage ambition, celebrate progress, or build healthy relationships. It risks becoming toxic, where constant criticism drowns out constructive voices.
Unfortunately, the media plays a central role in reinforcing this cycle. In the age of digital monetization, many media houses have discovered that outrage, fear, and pessimism drive clicks, shares, and engagement. The headlines are sharpened to provoke, stories are framed to alarm, and coverage is skewed toward crisis over context. This is not journalism in the truest sense; it is commerce dressed as concern. Negativity sells, and so the industry feeds it to us relentlessly.
The responsibility of journalism is not merely to reflect what is wrong, but also to illuminate what is possible. A genuine journalist must recognize the power of narrative in shaping the psychology of a society. By consistently highlighting failure without also presenting solutions or progress, the media risks deepening the very despair it claims to report on. A more balanced approach allows people to see reality as it is, without being conditioned to expect only the worst.
This does not mean whitewashing problems or turning a blind eye to injustice. It means reporting with balance. A community benefits when the media holds power to account, but it thrives when it is also reminded of its potential, resilience, and successes. The truth is that society needs encouragement as much as it needs warnings. People are more willing to participate in change when they feel there is hope and purpose. If negativity continues to dominate, we risk raising generations that view life only through fear and disappointment. A healthier society requires a shift in focus, where problems are acknowledged but possibilities are also given voice. Negativity may be easy to sell, but positivity is what helps a society grow.
