Instead of excitement about the upcoming election, many of my patients and friends – regardless of political affiliation – report they’re terrified at the thought of the “other side” winning. Democrats tell me they fear Donald Trump will end our democracy; Republicans are afraid Kamala Harris will turn the United States into a socialist society without family values.
Watching the news leaves people from both parties exhausted, sad and scared about the future. Each half of the country is made to believe the other half is stupid, deeply misguided, immoral, dishonest or maliciously plotting to ruin the country they themselves love.
I am a psychiatrist who specializes in treating and researching fear and anxiety. My book, “Afraid: Understanding the Purpose of Fear, and Harnessing the Power of Anxiety,” explores the politics of fear and the role media play in modern anxieties. Scientific insights on fear can provide a helpful perspective on election anxieties and suggest some practical tips on managing politics-related worries.
Human beings are a tribal species
As humans, we have a strong tendency to form group affiliations, whether based on national, ethnic, religious, sports, school or other social connections. People care more strongly for their own group members. Researchers have found that areas of the brain involved in empathy are more active when people see, for example, a member of their own college getting hurt versus someone from a rival college.
Tribal tendencies are not biologically tied to a specific racial, ethnic or national identity. Rather, all people are born with a desire to seek affiliation with the familiar.
Tribalism can strengthen in the face of a perceived external threat. Danger from outside can make you both paranoid about “others” not in your group and more trusting of your tribemates and tribe leaders.
This instinct is not necessarily bad. Tribalism has helped humans survive as a species by fostering the unity necessary to fend off an invading tribe, predators or natural disasters.
As a group-oriented species, people feel more comfortable and supported by their group.
AP Photo/Marta Lavandier
Media and leaders play up tribal connections
Leaders and media know how to exploit our tribalism to circle the wagons. They can trigger the tribal tendency in an effort to motivate people to avoid or attack the other side and keep donating, voting and watching their own side’s cable news.
For most media outlets in the U.S., like all corporations, revenue is the top priority. What matters most to them is the number of hours you watch, scroll and click. Science shows that emotions, especially negative ones, grab attention; fear makes people stick around.
Media organizations on both sides of the political spectrum recognize that negative news keeps the audience engaged. Whichever news channel you watch, when was the last time you turned away happy,…
