Bad News

I work in online media and appreciate the 24/7 access to news and information that the online world provides but lately, this informational overload is getting to me.

Is anyone else riding an emotional roller coaster of informational overload? During this loudly trumpeted recession, I have pored over economic news, job news, and policy news like a forensic expert. Day in and day out I have soldiered through the feelings of anxiety, fear and confusion (and yes, sometimes euphoria) that the latest quote, opinion, interview or soundbite provided by a so called expert/pundit instilled in me. Today I received a 'newsletter' from Motley Fool, that was pitching me on their services by predicting the crash of Wall Street as the headline. Don't they know that bad news and doom, gloom are not ways to sell someone anything except a life insurance policy or a cemetery plot? Don't they understand the average person (notice how I didn't say American) is sick to death of the constant onslaught of negative news and information and is reacting accordingly?

Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't consumer confidence a huge part of the issue with our economic recovery? People like me and my family who still have jobs, homes and the same quality of life (and even a growing stock portfolio) are still holding our dollars close to our chests, avoiding spending and generally fearing the worst. Could it be that all those insecure consumers are like me, inundated with an overload of negative news and therefore are responding accordingly? Today, Alan Greenspan (isn't he one of the reasons we had problems in the first place?) stated that the stock market would be flat in 2010. Really? Not to question his street cred, but where was his crystal ball when he was Chairman of the Federal Reserve and had apparently predicted the Housing Bubble but didn't curtail the excessive liquidity that was one of the issues that created this bubble.

There is a story from back when I worked with children called the Warm Fuzzy Tale. It focuses on the concept of the more positive, warmth you provide, the more you get in return and the more you hold back on warmth and positive feeling, the less there is. I feel as though the world I live in has ceased to operate under the premise that warmth and positive feeling can foster more positive feeling and pervasive negativity creates a scarcity situation that is creating a society of negative people holding their money, positive thoughts and warmth of spirit too close to their chests because of fear...