Is the News Too Much for Us to Handle?

Let’s be honest—watching the news these days can feel like a fast track to emotional exhaustion. Ask an older adult if they keep up with the nightly news, and you’ll likely hear, “Absolutely not! It’s too depressing.” Ask a parent if their child is allowed to watch it, and many will tell you they’d rather shield their kids from the harsh realities it shows.

But then comes the question: What do we show them instead? Cartoons? On many cable networks, the cartoon channel sits right next to the news. A subtle flip of the remote, and your child can go from colorful animations to a report on a school shooting or a war zone.

Ironically, there was a time when cartoons themselves were under fire for being too violent. Parental advocacy groups pushed for content warnings and age-based ratings on animated shows—and later, on movies and television in general.

So here’s the big question: should the news be rated too?

Some anchors already offer viewer discretion warnings when graphic footage is about to air. But what if the entire news block came with ratings like PG or R? Should we start segmenting reality?

It’s complicated. The news, by nature, is not a scripted show—it’s real life. There are no actors, no do-overs. And we certainly can’t ask hurricanes or criminals to tone it down for prime time. In fact, in the face of natural disasters or national emergencies, the news becomes essential. It’s how we check on family, understand the scope of a crisis, or even prepare for what’s coming.

To their credit, many journalists risk their own safety to keep the public informed. From war zones to floodwaters, reporters often go far beyond the studio to deliver the stories that matter.

Still, it’s worth asking: where do we draw the line? While we need to know about major events—wars, disasters, government corruption—what about tragic, isolated incidents like the Columbine shooting? Some argue that the intense coverage it received fueled a wave of copycat tragedies. So who bears responsibility? The media? Or have we simply become desensitized, thanks to decades of cartoon chaos and cinematic violence?

There may not be a perfect answer. But maybe the bigger question isn’t should we watch the news—but how we watch it, how we process it, and how we teach the next generation to understand the world without being overwhelmed by it.