Political polarization has worsened to the point where 40 percent of Americans describe politics as a chronic stressor, blaming it for increased depression and anxiety, loss of sleep, greater impulsivity, such as posting social media comments they later regret, and damage to relationships with family and friends (Smith and colleagues, 2019). We are on the cusp of election season, where political polarization and misinformation are frequent levers to incite fear, anger, and hatred, inundating us with media coverage that undermines our well-being. How do we protect ourselves from the uncertainty and emotional stress of politics and still show up to vote?

Uncertainty can feel dangerous. The brain is hardwired to pay attention to any potentially hazardous situation as a survival response. One way we deal with uncertainty is by getting more information. In an environment of limitless content and data and no easy means of telling evidence from opinion, information seeking can quickly turn obsessive. Ironically, continuously surfing through more news that makes us feel anxious and frustrated in the first place doesn't help.

We've had lots of practice doomscrolling during the past few years, between the loss, fear, and social and economic challenges during the pandemic, exacerbated by the continuing conflict filling social media, such as the Ukraine war, the Israel-Hamas war, and social unrest. Parsing through the flood of information, misinformation, and whipsawing threat created a psychological version of long COVID, leaving us in a state of chronic stress, in a perpetual orange alert.

Digital media, peer-to-peer connectivity, and instant and unlimited access to the Internet play a significant role in news consumption, with social media used as the news source for a frighteningly high percentage of users: 53 percent of X-Twitter users, 43 percent of Facebook users, 43 percent of TikTok users, 34 percent of........

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