Helping your teen manage news anxiety

Support your child in a digital landscape

Quick summary

1️⃣ The constant flow of news can make teens feel anxious, but you can help them to navigate it by encouraging media literacy and fact-checking

2️⃣ One way to do this is to encourage healthy habits by setting boundaries around news consumption, promoting breaks, and balancing screen time with self-care

3️⃣ You can also keep conversations open – ask about their worries, offer reassurance, and help them process the news in a way that feels manageable

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What is news anxiety?

With today’s never-ending news cycle, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.

News anxiety can affect people in different ways, from overthinking and exhaustion to trouble sleeping or concentrating.

Anxiety can show up in many different ways and at different levels.

Some common signs are...

• Feeling easily tired or exhausted
• Struggling to fall or stay asleep
• Obsessively thinking about something (for example, a big news story)
• Having trouble concentrating
• Feeling sad or teary
• Headaches, muscle aches, stomach pain, or unexplained aches
• Feeling irritable and tense
• Not feeling very hungry
• Finding it hard to control feelings of worry
• Panic attacks – these might include fast breathing, a racing heart, or pins and needles

News anxiety can especially affect teens who are often vulnerable to feeling anxious and who spend a lot of time on social media.

As a parent, you can play a super important role in helping your teen manage their mental health and, more specifically, any news anxiety they may have.

So if this is something you're worrying about, here are some tips to guide your teen.

Help your teen make sense of the news

Teens are exposed to news constantly nowadays, often without knowing what’s trustworthy.

Teaching them to think critically can help them feel more in control.

👉 Teach them to spot reliable news

• Encourage them to stick to trusted news sources like well-known newspapers, news websites, or official government updates
• Show them how to look beyond the headline and avoid overly dramatic stories that might be misleading

👉 Help them think critically about what they read

• Talk about the difference between facts and opinions in the news
• Explain that a confident or loud voice doesn’t always mean someone is an expert
• Encourage them to check different perspectives before forming an opinion

Teach your teen to fact-check before believing the news

Misinformation spreads fast, which can fuel news anxiety.

Teaching your teen to fact-check will help them feel more confident about what they read.

👉 Show them how to verify information

• Encourage them to cross-check news stories using multiple reliable sources
• Explain that experts in politics, health, and science provide more accurate information than social media influencers or opinion pieces

👉 Introduce them to fact-checking tools

• Help them use trusted fact-checking websites for example “Full Fact” or “Reuters” to confirm if a story is real
• Remind them that even major news outlets can make mistakes, so it’s always good to double-check important claims

Help your teen spot unreliable news

Not all news sources are trustworthy, and misleading stories can make news anxiety worse.

It might be useful to help your teen develop a healthy level of scepticism.

👉 Encourage them to look beyond headlines

• Remind them that headlines are designed to grab attention and may not tell the full story
• Teach them to check the details and sources within an article, especially if it’s from an unfamiliar news outlet

👉 Help them understand that news evolves

• Explain that early reports aren’t always accurate, and stories often change as more facts emerge
• Give examples, like how debates over whether World War 3 might happen don’t mean it will happen – opinions aren’t the same as facts

Encourage self-care and healthy news habits

Constant exposure to news can take a toll on mental health, increasing news anxiety.

Helping your teen set boundaries will make news consumption feel more manageable.

👉 Encourage regular breaks

• Suggest activities that bring them joy away from screens, like exercise, hobbies, or spending time with friends
• If you're concerned about excessive screen time, check out resources on spotting signs of phone addiction to see if a reset is needed

👉 Lead by example

• Show them that it’s okay to switch off by limiting your own news consumption as much as possible, or when in front of them
• Set small habits, like turning off the news at dinner or balancing difficult headlines with positive stories

Help your teen break the scrolling cycle

Many people spend time on social media throughout the day.

Unfortunately, that consumption can turn into a coping mechanism, becoming counterproductive or even harmful.

And while many people seek to break this cycle of scrolling, it’s hard to stop without an intentional alternative.

👉 Encourage healthier coping strategies

• Help them recognise when scrolling has become a stress response rather than a break
• Suggest intentional alternatives, such as mindfulness exercises, creative hobbies, or outdoor activities

👉 Explore relaxation techniques together

• Resources like HelpGuide’s Relaxation Techniques for Stress Relief offer practical ways to manage stress without relying on social media
• Introduce them to relaxation methods, such as meditation or deep-breathing
• Help them find a technique that works for them and create a routine they can stick to

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Keep conversations about news and news anxiety open and supportive

Teens may not always share their worries, but news anxiety can still affect them.

Creating a space where they feel comfortable talking can make a big difference.

👉 Encourage open discussions

• Ask them how they feel about the news to help them open up
• Show empathy and listen without judgement, reassuring them that their concerns are valid, however far fetched they may be

👉 Offer support and reassurance

• Let them know it’s normal to feel anxious about world events – even adults do!
• Remind them that they don’t have to process everything alone – you’re there to help them navigate their emotions

Supporting your teen through news anxiety

Hopefully, this has given you some ideas on how to help your teen manage news anxiety.

By encouraging critical thinking, fact-checking, and open conversations, you can support them in developing healthier news habits and protecting their mental wellbeing.