Panic Buttons

‘As more of our sense of what threaten us comes from the news and media and internet, we lose track of our former guides…bright lights of computer screens and TV screens that offer info fragments, alarming us more often then they reassure.’ (Marc MD Siegel, 2006)

No news is good news they say, but as we all know too well bad news sells. The media can impact us in a positive or negative way, it enlightens us but it is also the bearer of bad news.
Before the turn of the millennium the media coverage on the threats of the Y2K bug caused public panic all across the Western world. Government guidelines where issued to prepare the public for the worst, adding to the growth of hysteria. It was predicted that the bug would cause computers systems to crash, creating chaos like a scene out of the film 28 days later, as our basic needs such as water, food and electricity would be affected. Consequently the worried public rushed to supermarkets stocking up on essentials such as water, food and gas, just in case the world did cease operating at midnight. However Y2K never happened and all returned to normality.

Our choice to engage with the news and mass panic may be a reflection of ourselves, bad news taps into an innate, primitive part of us that enjoys the thrill of fear, like an adrenaline junkie to his extreme sport. Scary stories and tales of the unknown captivated our ancestors and served a purpose to these communities who tried to understand their surroundings, warning each other of the possible dangers that nature holds.

Therefore I do not agree with Sebastian that we need to avoid the media, choosing to live a life of ignorance can be bliss and it may resolve modern day afflictions such stress, phobias and panic attacks. However a little bit of fear and panic can be a great tool for survival in the outside world, keeping designers and manufactures of panic buttons busy.


Further reading:
False Alarms, The Truth about the Epidemic of Fear by Marc M.D Siegel
Culture of Fear by Frank Furedi