RUBY: The news makes me feel a bit sad. Cause what's been like going on.
CLARA: It's a little bit upsetting and like bordering on depressing due to, like global warming, climate change and like the wars.
HAMISH: Where like kind of suffering and they don't have much food or water and they're like some people are getting injured.
KINYANJUI: It's sad to watch and like, listen to what's happening.
WREN GILLETT, REPORTER: If the news has been getting you down recently. Well, it's not just you.
From natural disasters to political turmoil, famine and war; there's a lot of bad stuff going on. Researchers have found that seeing things like these can trigger feelings of anxiety and fear, especially in kids.
WREN: So, how do we keep up to date and look after ourselves at the same time?
AMBER OWEN, PSYCHOLOGIST: I think it's really important to make sure that you implement a whole lot of strategies to help you manage that distress that you might feel about bad news stories.
Amber is a psychologist, and she says it can help to understand a bit about how our brains work.
AMBER OWEN: So, we know that humans have this real negativity bias and that is that we're wired to notice the bad stuff more than the good stuff. Unfortunately.
It's actually an instinct that helped our ancestors to survive. Because bad news is often important news. But it can make us feel like things are more negative than they actually are. And remember, stories make the news because they're unusual. If they happened all the time, they wouldn't be headlines.
AMBER OWEN: The next thing I'd really suggest is that you focus on what is within your control.
When you're watching big world events unfold, it can be pretty easy to feel overwhelmed and powerless. So, Amber suggests focusing on the things you can do.
AMBER OWEN: It might just be like a single act of kindness or it might be engaging with your community, or it might even be thinking about on a global scale what you can do to help support the cause that you're distressed or worried about.
And remember, even in bad situations, there's usually something good to focus on.
AMBER OWEN: If you can look out for the helpers for those volunteers, the doctors, the communities that are banding together, it really does give you a sense of hope and help you to understand that there is always good in the world even within these bad news stories.
Amber also says it's important to remember that feeling upset about what you see on the news is totally normal. In fact, it's a good sign.
AMBER OWEN: I sometimes say to people, don't forget that you wouldn't wanna be a person that wasn't distressed by these things, right? Like that would say that you don't care.
And chances are, the adults in your life are feeling the same way.
AMBER OWEN: You might also find out that they find things distressing as well, and that can really help you feel validated and normal in the face of these really uncomfortable things that happen in our world.
She says it can really help to talk to someone, whether it's a friend, family member, a teacher or an organisation like Kids Helpline.
WREN: And remember, if you feel like you need to, you can always take a break from the news.
KINYANJUI: Sometimes I just take deep breaths and like, I don't know, think about something else more happy.
RUBY: To make myself feel better, I usually think about my dog and his name's Quinn.
CLARA: Once you get older, there will probably be more upsetting news and if you already know how to deal with it, then when you get older, you'll still know how to deal with it. So, it's really important to keep those skills.
