Do you remember the news that we used to watch on DD National (or Doordarshan as we call it) in the 90s? It used to be a way to stay informed and learn about current events with very fewer advertisements. Now it no longer keeps you informed, but conformed by creating news that is brainwashing us.

Everything that comes into your awareness changes how you feel and think.
If you watch the news, you’d think that the world was getting worse, yet statistically, there’s never been a time in human history where it has been safer to be alive than right now.

The news stations spend a ton of money on researching human psychology and understand the way human brains work.

In the 1950s when black and white images flashed over tiny television screens, psychologists began noticing how a simple television show could affect and influence the behavior of viewers. For instance, the way women were portrayed on television. Maybe less so today than in the past, women on TV were generally thin, which in turn introduced a stereotype decreeing all women should be thin. The psychological issues this has caused, such as bulimia and anorexia, abound even today.

careersinpsychology.org

It’s a business, and like any other business, it has to create revenue to survive.

How do they make revenue? Through advertising. The more people that are watching the news the more revenue is coming in. This is how the news has been brainwashing us.

A best example is if you go to a shopping mall, and you see a same product with same ingredient but a different brand, one that you saw on the Ad and other you never heard of or seen on an idiot box.

What do you do? You buy the product with a known brand even though it’s a harmful product and is banned in other countries. Lifebuoy Soap and Dispirin tablet are the examples.

Watch the below video fro TEDx talk on how we are getting brainwashed.

The way that the human brain is wired, is for survival. It’s designed to focus on the negative so that you can stay alive. So when you’re watching the tragedy on the news, you’re going to stick around to find what not to do and where not to go.

The news stations use a marketing strategy called an open loop which is designed to keep you watching the station for longer.

Have you ever switched to the news channel then hit with a major headline only to be told that it’ll be up after the break?

Just look at this example from Grant Cardone Youtube channel

The way that the human brain is wired means that you’re going to want to close that loop and so you’ll wait until you find out more about that headline which means you’ll stay tuned in so that you don’t miss it.
When you stay tuned, they’re making more income. It’s designed to be as negative as possible.
Clever isn’t it?

We all know someone who watches way too much news. I want you to think about that person and answer this question; would you say they’re positive or more negative?
Probably geared towards the negative side of life.

Just because the news doesn’t show the good stuff in the world, doesn’t mean it’s not happening.

So what should we do? We need to become in charge of what we allow into our space. Instead of watching the news, read a book, listen to podcasts, turn on YouTube and watch something that will help you grow, hang out with people that inspire you, go out in nature, be in charge and be very intentional about what you consume.

You get to choose what you focus on.