By: Valerie Blundell, Gateway Regional High School, Woodbury Heights
WOODBURY HEIGHTS, N.J. — Readers may be hearing political talk from their family members or friends — in which it can affect you and even the people around them. Students sometimes discuss political things during school hours. Some opinions are very unnecessary to share, especially in a school setting.
Large numbers of Americans reported that politics took a significant toll on a range of health markers, from stress, loss of sleep, suicidal thoughts, or an inability to quit thinking about politics and making intemperate social media posts. The proportion of Americans reporting these effects stayed stable or slightly increased between the spring of 2017 and the fall of 2020 prior to the previous election. Those who were young, politically interested, politically engaged, or leftist were more likely to report negative effects.
Politics can be a pervasive and largely unavoidable source of chronic stress that exacted significant health costs for large numbers of Americans during Trump’s first term. The 2020 election barely helped those effects, and in fact likely made them much worse.
Politics shape social networks and individual identity, and is a well-documented source of negative emotions that predict reports of decreased psychological and physical well-being. Elections and their long campaigns act as accelerants to what are already high levels of stress.
Heightened emotions and uncertainty during elections can cause increased stress and anxiety, more around younger voters. This phenomenon, “election anxiety,” has been observed to worsen mental health issues during election periods.
Politics being exposed on the news can lead to media fatigue. This psychological exhaustion results from information overload, causing some people to feel overwhelmed, anxious, and/or stressed. In response to this happening, they may intentionally avoid news consumption, leading to selective exposure where they would only engage with political beliefs that they agree with, possibly deepening political divides.
Communities like the LGBTQ+ might experience stress from political developments affecting their rights. For instance, following the announcement of Trump winning the 2024 election, crisis calls from LGBT youth spiked by 700%, highlighting the impact of political climates on vulnerable populations.
The persuasive nature of politics significantly impacts both mental and physical health across a variety of demographics. From chronic stress and media fatigue to heightened fear during elections and particular vulnerabilities within communities, the effects are profound. Recognizing and addressing these issues are crucial for running a society where individuals can engage in political matters without compromising their health.
This story was originally published in The Chomp, Gateway Regional High School’s student news website.
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