Combatting Election Fatigue: Polarization and its effects on Humanity
While what feels like a never-ending election cycle in the United States will be coming to a close soon, it's good to reflect on strategies to manage unrest in times of high-stress. Social media and media over-exposure are an ongoing problem for many (APA, 2022) (Clinical Psychological Science, 2019) (Translational Psychiatry, 2022) and political tensions are not expected to suddenly dissipate after a new president has been chosen. Therefore, it's worth exploring the benefits of self-care and how to self-regulate in the face of constant information intake.
Due to the advancements of the internet, accessibility through smartphones and social media, and corporate special interests in evoking emotional responses, people are more connected to information now more than ever. If I want to watch TV with my family, there is a political ad. If I want to browse social media posts by looking at either those close to me or those in the outer reaches, political discourse will usually occur there. I want to maybe just try to keep up with some current events but those are being marketed heavily to elicit emotional responses for me, as well. We are surrounded by discourse. This could be fine in an ideal world however that is not where we live. Polarization has been an ongoing issue and its effects can lead to collective failures if they continue (Greater Good, 2019).
My approach is to deal with this challenge is to approach directly where I can: changing my own habits and encouraging others to consider the same. I know I cannot push a button and make change happen instantly. I know that telling other people what to do (both in-person and online) will only make them resent me more and defeat the purpose. I know that people want their choices respected. Thus, I make the choice to approach things diplomatically.
But Joshua, I can't talk to someone who is a bigot. I can't talk to someone who wants to harm America. I can't just give in and not fight for what's right! You're just giving in to what they want and--
I am not saying any of that. What I want to consider is the effects of creating harder-to-reach bubbles in an already fragmented culture. I have the right to think a politician has terrible ideals and if you take me there we can talk about that. But I also know that you are my neighbor, my friend, my family, someone I care deeply for. I can make the choice to sever ties with toxicity, sure. I highly encouragement self-empowerment. It's also worth considering the cost of burning so many bridges. How will things flow from bubble to bubble if all the bridges have been burned?
Thus, we need to talk about two core concepts.
Emotional regulation
Let's start somewhere simple: you! Or me...or anyone! All humans have core values that make up who they are, behavioral patterns acquired through aging, and character traits added for flavor. Super simplified, sure, but the point is we all are our own people. Being a person means having feelings and reactions to things outside of our norms. Humans survived in the wilderness killing things, growing things, and either building alliances or killing others out of fear. We do what we can to preserve ourselves at the core; emotions are tools to get us there. Obviously there are morals, cognitions to justify choices, etc. but that's not the point of this discussion for today. Emotions can be powerful tools to keep us safe and healthy but this doesn't mean they are perfect at the job. If I feel something is threatening, I am going to lash out and more likely act on impulse.
With the clients I work with, I always start at the foundation of understanding what you feel and do and then dive into the "why the heck do I do that?" before we get into the "well now what" phase of it. There is more to be discussed with a few different modality frameworks (I like the offshoots of behavioral theory) but we are going to keep it simple. Regulating involves finding what is actually meaningful to yourself and integrating it into self-care.
An example of this may be I am a person who really loves playing music but I also have a really bad temper. When I am connected to music I feel alive, connected, and my emotions are connecting with my body and I am literally creating something I enjoy and can take pride in. I may feel really down when I decide to start playing but I am also adding in something that I think is beautiful.
Cliche, maybe, but the goal is clear. Positive and negatives exist in this simplified model. When coping meaningfully is practiced per the example, you are actively engaging in what I try to teach my clients regularly: Let the crap stink and step around it; you can pick it up when it's time and nobody said you have to stay there smelling it all day. Crude example but it sticks in your head.
Impact of Thinking Patterns
Your cognitions (your thoughts, your views on things, how you understand the world) are going to play a role in what you are doing. If I tell myself, "All [political party] are bad/evil/are going to hurt me," I am going to go into defense mode. Some people may be jerks, some may ignore you, and some may become violent. I am going to emphasize once more that our emotions don't care about the logic. It's probably a good idea to consider what our worldviews are doing to our emotions and encouraging erratic behaviors.
Disclaimer: I am going to reinforce that in no way am I encouraging anyone to consider dropping their views, especially as it relates to justice, inequality, fairness, and growth. What I am saying is consider the long game and not one battle. If I want to convince you something is a good option, screaming and blocking you off won't help me. I can pillage a town for resources once or I can make a compromise and agreement to share resources. I won't get all of what I want but I will have a much better chance at survival.
It's easy to get stuck in the "right vs. wrong" mentality or stick with one black-and-white thought. When I explain open-minded thinking to clients, I encourage them to make observations about all the factors of the situation and discourage tunnel vision. Questions like, "Is there something I am missing?" or "What can I learn from this?" are simple starters. However, I encourage more depth by trying to understand the root of a problem and using critical thinking skills. This is not be used as an excuse for a situation or person's actions, rather information needed to move forward. Again, the focus in all of this emotional and cognitive work is yourself.
I am allowed to think multiple thoughts at the same time:
This person is a jerk
I need to find a solution to working with this person
I am not obligated to enjoy them, but this is a choice I can make to solving my problem
They are so wrong
But I can also reshape them to work with me:
This person is a jerk but they are the person who is in charge and options are limited.
We share some values, I can make this work more for us
Even if I cannot change their mind today, I can establish better rapport for the days we do agree
They are allowed to believe what they want, I will continue to advocate for my beliefs
These examples are generalized. If they don't apply to you, great! The goal is to make reframes matter to who you are. If they feel like you're lying to yourself, maybe you are. Get creative with being honest, do not stick with generic statements. Make it your own, make it truthful, and make it useful for what you need. I can't tell you what matters to you, only you can.
You also are not obligated to be nice when acknowledging your thoughts! I often encourage clients that if your thought it "I feel like shit and this fucking sucks" then let that be the thought. Don't clean it for the sake of anyone else or the discomfort you feel sharing that. Acknowledging the truth as it comes is vital for healing and growth. Additionally, be mindful that some thoughts are better shared to yourself, your journal, a trusted friend, or the person directly. Use practical judgment when exploring thoughts and remember what is safe (and practically useful) to share and don't share for the sake of it.
Impact of Dissonance
Cognitive dissonance is a term used to describe the disconnect between what you feel and what you do. This can lead to some challenges with feeling confident in choices you make or even feelings of guilt or shame (Cleaveland Clinic, 2023). This is important to consider in the context of political distress and unrest because those core values can really amplify this dissonance. “I should be doing XYZ” The good news is that dissonance can be addressed similarly to some of the methods mentioned above. Once the black and white thinking has been identified, observe the logistics of implementing some of these thoughts, examine the facts about what you are doing, what it's contributing, are you okay in the process, etc. Realistically, it is near impossible to be 100% connected to every political cause, engage meaningfully in every single conversation, make an effective impact, and still be a human who is intact at the end of the day. The same way that you will never find a politician who you 100% align with, you will never be able to fix every problem. Thus, my recommendation usually sits with focusing on what you can do.
An example of this I can give is a personal one. I went into both teaching and counseling to do one thing: help people who can be easily forgotten by a system that has so many blindspots. I’ve worked with at-risk youth, adults and children on medicaid, trauma survivors, geriatric patients who are isolated, and so forth. I could go on about every issue they experience and give you a list of systemic problems and fight every day about them. What helps myself stay focused and on track is realizing: I am one human being who can only make as much change as one human can. Whether that’s providing therapy, teaching a concept, having a good conversation, writing this blog post to inform someone else who may need it, I know that I can contribute that much in the hopes I can educate others to carry the torch. Some folks may get involved in political movements, grassroots organizing, canvasing, and anything else that contributes. To solve dissonance is to take meaningful action, not to fight on Facebook with your racist aunt.
Dissonance and emotional manipulation is extremely prevalent in online discourse where polarization feels like the default. There is a lot of pressure to do what is “right" or "best" by others, that has never changed. Couple that with imagery that can be AI generated, sensationalized, or otherwise designed to play on your emotions and you have a recipe for disaster.
Election Overload is Real, Exposure to Ongoing Political Information is Exhausting, and Compassion Fatigue is Damning
To start solving the problem, it’s helpful to assess what is really the problem. Understanding that things are not surface value and that there is a motive online to keep you engaged: Posting and viewing adverts in the process makes someone money. Posting something outlandish elicits fear and views. Your time and data are sought after constantly online. My goal of making this point clear in conjunction with mental health speak is not to create this idea that “online bad” but rather to be self-aware of your time online. Someone wants something out of you constantly and you are more than welcomed to engage. However, that exists within the scope of what is on your device. I can argue all I want about any cause online, but at the end of the day I am one in billions in person. Nobody knows that I called out bigotry online. Nobody knows about this think piece I made. Nobody knows about that post I put in my story about how [political figure] is trying to [any action]. Realistically, we all have to live. We interact with co-workers, neighbors, commuters, random people at the gas station, ect.
If you want meaningful change to happen, have conversations with those folks that you see, not the ones you don’t see. A bot account will never change their posts, they are a machine literally churning out engagement fodder. Your racist aunt who doesn’t go out all the time won’t change when the discourse is surrounded by fuel for the fire and she can’t even see your face (realistically also practicing boundaries and acceptance skills with your aunt are probably another good idea; don’t take that super literally). It starts with grounding and connection with yourself so you can figure out what you actually want to bring to others. A jack of all trades has mastered none and it’s far more beneficial for your community to bring compelling change meaningfully.
