Not So: Bad: How Shifting From Negative Information Changes How We Work, Live

Emma Varvaloucas is exeucitve director of The Progress Network.

Do the negative news stories, content and information we consume affect who we are, our state of mind, and how we work and move in the world?

Emma Varvaloucas, executive director of The Progress Network, believes that is the case. In her role of providing content, podcasts, newsletters and more in this “network of ideas,” she is helping to shift the concentration on extreme, volatile opinions to a more positive gathering of news and facts based on progress.

“@Heyemmavarv, executive director of @Progressntwrk, is helping to shift the concentration on extreme, volatile opinions to a more positive gathering of #news and facts based on #progress.”

“It seems everyone is hooked up to negative headlines in the U.S. and we don’t pay adequate attention to what is going right, particularly in the last 50 years or so,” says Varvaloucas, who graduated from New York University in 2012 with concentration in journalism and religious studies. “We focus on ideas, arguments, evidence that leads into a better network of solutions.”

After nearly a decade working in nonprofit media as the executive editor of Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, Varvaloucas joined The Progress Network in 2019, working with founder Zachary Karabell, author, journalist and foirmer head of global strategies for Envestnet. With the launch planned for Spring 2020, the onslaught of COVID delayed those plans until October 2020.

Working with “people who approach the complex issues of our times without outrage or hostility,” Varvaloucas says the network of more than 100 contributors is aligned with several nonprofits and institutions including Solutions Journalism Network, Human Progress and Big Think.

“We are trying to bring under one roof a lot of organizations so we are under one umbrella and not the sum of its parts,” says Varvaloucas, who edited two books, including Touching Ground: Devotion and Demons Along the Path of Enlightenment, and Wholehearted: Slow Down, Help Out, Wake Up. She is at work on a third book, The India Years.

The depth of negativity and disinformation is a global, widespread problem. A recent Al Jazeera research project studied “the sentiment and emotional undertones of 23 million headlines from a representative sample of 47 news outlets popular in the United States over the 2000 to 2019 time frame.”

The report continues, “It is obvious from our analysis that the negativity, anger, sadness and fear conveyed by news media headlines are increasing over time.”

“The depth of negativity and #disinformation is a global, widespread problem. A recent @AJEnglish research project reports, “It is obvious from our analysis that the negativity, anger, sadness and fear conveyed by news media headlines are increasing over time.””

And the numbers are significant. The report shows, “A increase of 104% in the prevalence of headlines denoting anger since the year 2000 is apparent. There are also substantial increases in the prevalence of headlines denoting fear (+150%), disgust (29%) and sadness (+54%) in the 2000–2019 studied time range. In contrast, the prevalence of headlines with neutral emotion has experienced a continuous decrease (-30%) since the year 2000. The joy emotional category shows a curvilinear pattern with increasing proportion of headlines denoting joy from 2000 to 2010 and a decreasing trend from 2010 to 2019.”  

The problem is not solely with journalists, Varvaloucas says. Readers need to be aware of how their choices impact content. “If more readers tell outlets they will interact” with more progress-related content, than a shift is possible.

For journalists focusing their content on positive progress, Varvaloucas says, “We are acting as a platform to get their work out there.”

“For #journalists focusing their content on positive progress, @Heyemmavarv says, “We at @Progressntwrk are acting as a platform to get their work out there.” #positivenews ”

As someone born and raised in New Jersey who loved reading the New York Times from the time she was 11 years old, Varvaloucas says, “I always wanted to be a writer and I see my work as being fundamentally of service. I want to put something out there that people can use in their lives.”

And the information and content a person absorbs daily does change how they view their lives, their work, and the world.

“Fundamentally it changes your mindset,” Varvaloucas says. “There are so many hard, intractable problems we have made traction on, such as poverty, vaccines. But all you see are more and more problems. So then people become apathetic and don’t want to engage as a citizen or voter.”

“And the information and content a person absorbs daily does change how they view their lives, their work, and the world. #positivenews #mentalhealth”

This is borne out in new research.

A new study from PsychTests.com, shows “the state of the economy, resurging COVID cases, military conflicts, and the deteriorating health of the planet have many people feeling rather despondent these days and perhaps even a little fatalistic about what the new year might bring.”

Analyzing data collected from 12,259 people who took the Emotional Intelligence Test, PsychTests’ researchers compared two groups: people who are terrified (Foreboders) of what the future holds and those are not afraid, or Level-headers.

“Being concerned about the future is normal, especially given the economic crisis we are currently going through and the general sense of global unrest,” explains Dr. Ilona Jerabek, president of PsychTests. “This pushes us to prepare and plan, just in case. For example, many people are curbing their spending, striving to be more eco-conscious, and trying to appreciate the good in their lives rather than only focusing on the bad. However, don’t let a fear of the future nestle in too deep. Making decisions and taking actions from a state of fear generally doesn’t end well.”

““Being concerned about the future is normal,” explains @Ila_jer, president of PsychTests. “However, don’t let a fear of the future nestle in too deep. Making decisions and taking actions from a state of fear generally doesn’t end well.” #lifeadvice”

Not surprisingly, 41% of Foreboders see life as being just one problem after another (compared to 9% of Level-headers). A reported 43% of Foreboders feel directionless and lack a sense of purpose (compared to 11% of Level-headers). Another 58% are afraid that if they get their hopes up, they will be heartbreakingly disappointed (compared to 17% of Level-headers). More than half, or 51% dislike change and will try to avoid it (compared to 13% of Level-headers).

“What we have seen in our study is that a fear of the future, or a tendency towards defeatist thinking, stems not just from fear, but also a lack of purpose and goals, self-doubt, and poor coping skills,” Jerabek says.

“So many people are in a poor mental health space due to the pandemic and the news every day,” says Varvaloucas.

This affects every aspect of daily life, including the workplace and workplace culture. But it is possible to shift that mindset.

““So many people are in a poor #mentalhealth space due to the pandemic and the news every day,” says @Heyemmavarv. This affects every aspect of daily life, including the #workplace and workplace culture. But it is possible to shift that mindset. ”

“A lot of it is making ideas available and showing there is something good every week. There is an enormous amount of good happening all the time,” says Varvaloucas. “We have a team devoted to this goal of how to read the news without losing your mind.”

Jerabek would agree and offers concrete steps to achieving a more balanced perspective and healthier, positive outlook.

“So rather than feeling fearful of the future and wallowing in a sense of helplessness, focus your energy on creating the type of future that you want. Start a bucket list. Work on your confidence and stress management. Find the good in negative situations and look for things in your life to appreciate. Pay it forward or volunteer. If you fixate on all the bad that is going on, you will never be able to recognize the good. Remember, the future is unwritten, so no one can accurately predict what will happen. Prepare for the worst if you wish, but hope for the best too,” Jerabek says.

““Remember, the future is unwritten, so no one can accurately predict what will happen. Prepare for the worst if you wish, but hope for the best too,” @Ila_jer says. #mindset #mentalhealth”

“We need to be about re-educating people about the state of the world with basic facts. A lot of people do not know the facts,” says Varvaloucas. “We’re not in the terrible place people think we’re in. It’s a messy time, but you have to tell people, it’s not as bad as it seems.” 

Take The Lead Leadership Tip of The Week:

“It’s not sexy or popular to be positive. The more we can normalize looking for a balanced perspective, the better.” — Emma Varvaloucas, Executive Director, The Progress Network