How can parents and teachers help children process disturbing news? Psychologists explain value of open discussions
- If teens feel anxious about upsetting information they’ve seen, they should seek support from adults, who can guide them in dealing with their thoughts and emotions
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Even if you know the news is making you anxious, it can be tough to stop scrolling. Photo: ShutterstockNotifications keep popping up from social media, group chats and news outlets – all sharing the same upsetting news. Sometimes, it can feel like there is no escaping a hot topic.
“Our brains are wired to notice and to react to threats. News reporting is designed to be attention-grabbing, so when there is a traumatic story in the press, it is like our brains are being led to focus on the most disturbing details,” said Hannah Reidy, clinical psychologist and board member of Mind HK.
“We often want to keep reading or watching to find out more, and find it hard to take a step back even though it is causing us to feel anxious.”
If you’re feeling distraught over the constant flow of upsetting information, it is important to seek support from parents and teachers. Young Post spoke to two psychologists to offer some advice on how to help children and teens cope with distressing news.
Address the emotional response
It is normal for teens to feel upset when exposed to disturbing news, but adults can help them calm down.
“Expect and validate the anxious response that will naturally come from young people reading disturbing content,” said Reidy. “Check in with them regularly to ensure that their emotional response does calm down over a few days.”
The psychologist suggested that if someone was feeling distressed, parents or teachers could help them focus on their breathing and use grounding techniques to distract from their difficult emotions.
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These techniques can include paying attention to the sights and sounds in the room, or pressing one’s feet into the floor to regulate physical responses to the perceived threat.
Adrian Low, president of the Hong Kong Association of Psychology and a chartered psychologist who specialises in stress research, stressed the value of creating an inviting and safe environment for youngsters to process their emotions.
“It is important for teachers and parents to acknowledge and validate the feelings of students who are experiencing anxiety related to the news. This can help create a sense of safety and trust, and encourage students to express their concerns,” said Low.
Model empathy
Making sure that teens feel heard and understood is key when helping them process upsetting news.
“Parents, teachers and caregivers play a crucial role in guiding teenagers through this process and providing the necessary support,” Low said, adding that adults should set an example for youngsters.
“Adolescents often look to their parents and other adults in their lives as role models, and modelling empathy can be a powerful way to teach them how to respond to disturbing news.”
Empathy refers to the ability to understand another person’s emotions, thoughts and experiences. It is about putting yourself in another person’s shoes and considering how they might feel.
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“When a teenager confronts troubling news, they may feel overwhelmed, sad or angry. By demonstrating empathy, parents can help their children feel heard and understood, while also teaching them how to respond with compassion and kindness,” the psychologist said.
He added that educators and guardians could model empathy by actively listening to young people when they express their feelings about disturbing news.
“They can also encourage their children to ask questions and express their thoughts and feelings about what they have read or heard,” Low explained.
Encourage critical thinking
If the news is no longer overwhelming someone, engaging them in a healthy conversation can help them put words to their thoughts and make sense of what they are reading.
“Striking a balance between providing factual and relevant information and protecting the emotional well-being of teenagers is important,” Low emphasised.
“Parents and teachers ... can encourage students to think critically about the news, which will help them reduce anxiety related to misinformation or sensationalised news,” the psychologist added.
“Encourage them to question the accuracy ... of the news they come across on social media. This can help teenagers learn how to evaluate information and determine what sources are trustworthy.”
Raidy noted that teens should be mindful when consuming or reposting news on social media.
“Promote responsible use of social media and support the individual to limit their exposure to the news and encourage them to take a break from their phone or the internet to concentrate on other non-threatening content,” she said.
This could also be an opportunity to foster resilience and emotional maturity in young people. “Teachers and parents can help young people build coping skills and problem-solving strategies for managing stress and anxiety,” Low said, adding that it could be a good time for teens to learn about self-care and ways to relax.
But Low stressed that helping young people through their distress was more about learning through the journey, rather than just reaching an end goal. “It is not about finding the perfect solution, but rather the process of exploring potential solutions.”
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