byAMYFLEMING(@amyfleming)
Amy is a freelance science writer and editor.isnotparticularlyproductive. It doesn’t go anywhere, it just
spreads,”hesays.
It’shardtofindevidenceoftheextenttowhichTwitteranger
impactsonlifeoff-screen.“Socialmediaisanextensionof
whatis alreadythere,”saysBalick.Poverty,inequality,mistrust
ofpoliticians,threatstoreproductiverights,socialexclusion
andmanyotherrealissuesaremakingpeopleangry.“Insome
cases[socialmedia]maybeanaccelerator,increasingtheanger,
frustrationandpolarisationthatis alreadythere.”Onecouldalso
arguethatthewaywecurateournewssourcesfeedspolarisation.
“SocialmediasiteslikeTwitterpowerupconfirmationbias,”
hesays.“Youhaveanopinionononething,yournatural
confirmationbiaswillgearyoutowardsacceptingnewsand
storiesthatappealto youropinion,andthenTwitterorFacebook
furtherencapsulatesyouintoa filterbubble.It is arguablethat
thisinducesandincreasesa kindofrighteousindignationthat
may indeed lead to a behaviour outside the social network.”ANDBREATHEÉ
Therearestrategiesto helpyoustayreasonablewhenangry.“It’s
allabouttryingtoregulatethatstrongemotion,”saysHeym.
Shesaysthere’sgoodevidencethata methodcalled‘cognitive
reappraisal’willhelp.Thismeanstakinga stepbackfromthe
provocationandtryingtoseeit froma differentviewpoint.
Focusingonbreathingorcountingcanhelp.“Ifsomebodynips
a parkingspaceawayrightinfrontofyou,thiscreatesanangry
response,”saysHeym.“Youmightstartmutteringorshouting,
youmightstartbeepingthehorn,somepeoplemightgetoutof
thecarandattacktheperson.Tryingtoreappraisethesituation,
andlearninghowtogain prefrontal control over these angry
desires,canhelp.”
Tryingtorepressangryfeelingsisn’ttheanswer,however.
“Ifyoukeepyourangerintoomuchandyoudon’texpressit,
DUKE DOWNEY/SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE/POLARIS/EYEVINE X2it can backfire,” warns Heym. Expending your angry energy by
playingsportscanbebeneficial.Orif you’re
bubblingoverandabouttoloseit,Heym
saysthatdisplacingyourangryresponse
canhelpavertcatastrophe.“Hitthecarseat
ratherthangettingoutof thecarandhitting
a person,”shesuggests.“Justtogetridof
thatintenseoutburstthatyou’refeelingat
thismoment,becauselosing control can
comeathugecosts.”
Mindfulnesshasalsoshownpromising
results.It helpstrainyourmindtosee
andunderstandwhat’shappeninginthe
moment,withoutreacting.“Themoreyou
practisemindfulness,thebetteryouget
atit,”saysHeym.“Youlearnthatthese
negativeemotionsaretransientexperiences.
Ourheartrateshootsup,weareadrenalised
andwewanttoreact,butobservingyour
ownstatehelpsyoutoseehowthisis
transientandgoesawayandthenwecan
dealwiththeproblem in a much more
efficientmanner.”
Verbalaggression,saysHeym,canbe
ashurtfulasviolentaggression.Whether
you’reaboutreacttoa confrontational
tweet,anovertiredchildorbeingbeeped
atwhiledriving,themessageis,“Tryto
takea stepback,takea breath,remove
yourselffromthatfrustrationpoint,and
cognitively reappraise before you act.”ABOVEPsychologist
DrPhilipZimbardowas
interestedinthepowerof
anonymity.Inone
experiment,hefoundthat
whenpeoplehadtheir
faceshidden,theywere
morewillingtoadminister
electricshocks to other
people