Mean World Syndrome

With the aftermath of the New Zealand massacre still being felt it’s hard not to feel depressed when we hear the news.

I noticed that the news has crept back up in my life, I avoid watching it on TV but I’m listening more to it on the radio in the car or walking the dogs. Last year I was much more disciplined about barely listening to the news at all and you know what…..

I was happier!

And the research has found I’m not alone. The concept Mean World Syndrome was coined by George Gerber and describes the phenomenon where violence-related content of mass media makes viewers believe that the world is more dangerous than it actually is.

We were good at censoring what our children watch but like the typical women we are, we don’t consider the impact this negative news can be having on us.

To balance this out I want to share some good news stories and for more information check out the link. Enjoy 

https://tinyurl.com/ya8kb4rh

GOOD NEWS STORIES

  1. India increased its already massive 2022 clean energy target by 28%. 
    It plans to add 150 GW of wind and solar in the next four years.
  2. Ireland became the world’s first country to divest from fossil fuels after a bill was passed with all-party support in the lower house of parliament.
  3. Spain committed to shutting down most of its coal mines by the end of the year, after the government agreed to early retirement for miners, re-
    skilling, and environmental restoration.
  4. The Journal of Peace Research said that global deaths from state-based 
    conflicts have declined for the third year in a row, and are now 32% lower 
    than their peak in 2014.
  5. After a decade long effort, Herat, Afghanistan’s deadliest province for landmines, was declared free of explosive devices. Nearly 80% of the country is now mine free.
  6. Following the collapse of ISIS, civilian deaths in Iraq decreased dramatically. 80% fewer Iraqis were killed in the first five months of 2018 
    compared to last year.
  7. Ethiopia and Eritrea signed a peace treaty, signalling the end of a 20-year war, and reuniting thousands of families.
  8. Malaysia abolished the death penalty for all crimes and halted all pending executions, a move hailed by human rights groups in Asia as a 
    major victory.
  9. Honduras had the highest homicide rate in the world in 2012. Murders have decreased by half since then, more than any other nation.
  10. Crime and murder rates declined in the United States’ 30 largest cities, with the murder rate for 2018 was 7.6% lower than 2017.

 

Let’s celebrate the good stuff x