ANTI-Trump or ANTI-Kamala News
If you’ve found yourself overwhelmed by the relentless stream of political news—be it the latest developments in the Trump administration, ongoing conflicts in Gaza, or the resurgence of protests across the U.S.—you’re not alone. The constant barrage of such content can be mentally exhausting. In fact, a significant number of individuals report feeling worn out by the sheer volume of news, leading many to seek ways to filter or avoid certain topics altogether. (0)
Partisan Showdowns Everywhere:
Another day, another shouting match on the news – politicians trading personal insults and scandalous accusations, fueling outrage across the nation.
Tragic Violence on Screen: Heartbreaking footage of yet another mass shooting, with families in tears and communities shattered by grief.
War and Conflict Updates: Graphic images from an overseas war flash across my feed nightly – bombed-out neighborhoods and terrified civilians caught in the crossfire.
Never-Ending Celebrity Drama: A celebrity’s messy public meltdown or feud dominates headlines for days, dragging social media into a frenzy of judgement and gossip.
Disaster and Doom: Apocalyptic warnings of record-breaking wildfires and hurricanes, plastered with devastating scenes that make the world feel scarier by the minute.
Sound familiar? If you’re exhausted by this constant barrage of emotionally charged news, you’re not alone. I’m the founder of Clarity News, and I created it because I, too, was tired of feeling anxious and overwhelmed by my own news feed. In this post, I’ll share why I decided to remove political content and other distressing stories from my news feed – and how doing so helped me reclaim my peace of mind. We’ll explore what research says about news and mental health, why traditional platforms don’t let you easily filter out unwanted content, and how Clarity News empowers you to customize your news feed and take back control.
News Fatigue is Real:
In fact, most people are feeling this way. A Pew Research survey found about two-thirds of Americans (66%) feel worn out by the amount of news they encounter (1). The American Psychological Association’s data echo this: in 2023, 73% of Americans felt overwhelmed by the number of crises in the news – from the pandemic to politics and social unrest. This phenomenon has a name: “headline stress disorder.” Psychologists use terms like doomscrolling and headline anxiety to describe the very real strain caused by constant exposure to negative news (2). Even a short burst of bad news can have an effect – one study found that just 14 minutes of reading the news increased people’s anxiety and sadness levels (3). Over time, this chronic stress can chip away at your mental well-being.
When Politics Becomes Personal:
Political news in particular can be extremely draining. It often feels combative and never-ending, and research confirms it impacts us deeply. In one study, 40% of people said politics was a significant source of stress in their lives. Around 20% reported that the toxic political climate was disrupting their sleep or making them feel depressed, even causing rifts with friends and family. And between 10–30% said the constant political turmoil took an emotional toll by triggering anger and hatred(4). Think about that – our daily news is literally making many of us angry or miserable.
It’s also telling that news avoidance is on the rise. Many people are so stressed that they’re opting out of news altogether. A global Reuters Institute report found 38% of people often or sometimes actively avoid the news, a sharp increase from a few years prior. Over one-third said that the news – especially heavy topics like politics or COVID – lowers their mood(5). This trend is sometimes called “news avoidance” or “news fatigue,” and it’s a coping mechanism for protecting mental health. Even the World Health Organization recognized the danger of information overload: during COVID-19, the WHO advised people to limit news checks to just once or twice a day to reduce anxiety(6).
Why we made this:
Frustrated by the lack of control, I decided to create the solution I craved. If the big networks wouldn’t give us the ability to filter out toxic content, I would build a platform that does. That’s how Clarity News was born – as an “anti-algorithm” news app designed to empower readers to customize their news feed and eliminate unwanted content. I built Clarity News with a simple philosophy: Staying informed should feel empowering, not overwhelming.
Putting You in Charge:
Unlike traditional feeds that force-feed you trending topics based on opaque algorithms, Clarity News puts you in the driver’s seat. You get custom keyword filtering at your fingertips – meaning you can explicitly block specific topics, names, or keywords from appearing in your news feed. Hate seeing partisan bickering? Just add keywords like “Democrat,” “Republican,” or any recurring political topic to your filter list, and those stories will be filtered out. Need a break from upsetting crime or disaster reports? You can filter words like “shooting” or “hurricane” or whatever you find triggering. In my case, I went ahead and filtered out a bunch of hot-button political terms. The effect was immediate and liberating: my feed became mine again. No more dreading that the next scroll will slam me with a divisive political drama. As Clarity’s motto says, “Your news, your rules.” You truly have the final say in what appears (or doesn’t appear) on your screen.