Political Polarization Is Harmful To Health. 7 Ways To Heal, From A Doctor

Sensational political coverage and nonstop breaking-news alerts can elevate stress and worsen mental and physical health. getty

The media landscape is a constant battlefield these days. This increasingly creates an environment marked by political polarization. According to data from the Pew Research Center in 2022, 72% of American Republicans and 63% of Democrats believed people in the opposing party were more immoral than other Americans, up sharply from 2016.

Here’s the problem: media-stoked political polarization can contribute to worse mental and physical health for people and their community.

Consider these examples of polarized content.

From the right, Fox News panelist Carl DeMaio said “Democrats are enabling an evil enterprise” in the context of border-policies for unaccomp