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Step Away from the 24-Hour News Cycle

Outside – It’s never a bad time to re-evaluate your digital addiction: “…Jim Davies, a professor of Cognitive Science at Carleton University, says that everything about the news—from the dramatic headlines to the riveting background music to the colors on the screen (lots of red, which experts agree is one of, if not the most, emotionally charged color)—is engineered to prey on our hardwired impulses to pay attention to what seems exciting and important. The manner in which the news is presented—be it on television or the social feeds on our phone—often triggers the release of dopamine, a powerful neurochemical that tags experiences as meaningful and makes us want to seek them over and over again, Davies explains in his book, Riveted. “High dopamine makes everything look significant,” he writes. “The news needs a fear to monger, regardless of how important it is. It deemphasizes the routine and constant, and brings irregularities to our attention.” The more compelling the drama, he writes, the more we’ll be sucked in…”

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