Politics as chronic stressor

Everyday political content — not just big events — can function like a chronic stressor: repeated small doses of negative political news and social‑media interactions produce persistent anger, sadness, or disgust that erode mental and physical health. That emotional load may also lower people’s energy for constructive civic participation and deepen polarization. — If politics operates like a chronic public‑health stressor, media norms, campaign tactics, and civic organizers must reckon with the emotional side‑effects of political life and adapt strategies accordingly.