Tragedy Isn’t for Consumption

Controversial wars. Mass shootings. A celebrity gone too soon. Political theater. Tech billionaires on trial. There’s always bad news to consume and a good incentive to consume it in today’s society. Being informed is a modern cultural virtue highlighting our apparent connectedness, care, and capacity.

Of course, solid journalism and an understanding of historical and current events are valuable. When creators tell stories with integrity, justice is served, the voiceless gain a voice, and generations are inspired to use their talents and resources for the benefit of their neighbors. News can help us learn, connect, and thrive as individuals and communities. But particularly when it comes to bad news, we’re wise to consider our engagement.

When we doomscroll, queue podcasts, and obsessively click on every breaking news alert, are we tuning in because we believe doing so will help us better serve Christ’s kingdom? Or has tragedy become our entertainment?

Engaging or Escaping?

Has tragedy become our entertainment?

If we’re honest, constant input might be our way of escaping the pain in our hearts and neighborhoods. Decrying events thousands of miles away is much easier than seeking to meet the needs of the homeless person on the next corner. Spending hours on a true crime podcast is a temporarily satisfying adrenaline antidote to the monotony of virtual work. Spiraling down the Instagram Reel rabbit hole of political drama instead of having curious conversations with family lets us feel like we’re on the right side of history. But at what cost to our mental health and surrounding communities?

Information consumption is often solitary. Doomscrolling doesn’t require us to do the complex, devoted work of engaging in redemptive relationships with embodied humans. Too often, watching the news cycle leads us to the despair from which Christ frees us and prevents us from taking tangible action in his name.

From Watching to Walking

Instead of watching from afar, notice how Isaiah 58:10–11 calls us to walk with those in need:

If you pour yourself out for the hungry
and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness
and your gloom be as the noonday.
And the LORD will guide you continually
and satisfy your desire in scorched places.

We’re not called to simply repost stories about helping the hungry and shake our heads at the desires of the afflicted. We’re called to pour ourselves out and satisfy the desires of the needy. Whereas observing other people’s misfortune often breeds fear and gloom in us, when we help the suffering, the Lord lightens our gloom, guides us continually, and satisfies our desires. It’s not in scrolling that we’ll be satisfied—it’s in serving.

God offers us so much more than a constant stream of information. He invites us into his redemptive story and promises to provide for our mental and spiritual well-being as we respond to others’ needs. To be clear, this passage indicates we’ll face emotional and spiritual struggles as we meet physical needs and battle suffering. However, as we follow his commands to care for the vulnerable, God promises to truly satisfy us in this work and grow our witness of joy—something the news could never do.

Understanding current events is important if we want to effectively help the vulnerable. But tragedy isn’t for our consumption. It’s not even for us to fully understand. Tragedy points us to the effects of sin on every individual and institution. God calls us not merely to be informed about the suffering around us but to step into it, knowing he’ll sustain us.

Consider the Fruit

So how can we engage information in a way that honors the Lord and helps our neighbor? We can begin by considering what sort of fruit our news consumption is bearing in our lives. As you scroll through your feed, read articles, and listen to podcasts, pay attention to your responses. Are they characterized by the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22–26)?

Love for your neighbor
Joy that’s above circumstances
Peace dependent on God’s greater plan for your life and this world
Patience for the learning process
Kindness that overflows to action
Goodness from a righteous, humble heart
Faithfulness in a few areas of service
Gentleness toward the limitations of your mind and body
Self-control in your desire to know more

If instead your responses are characterized by fear, anxiety, and sin, it’s probably time to take a closer look at your habits. Bonnie Kristian suggests in her book Untrustworthy that rather than being informed, we should be studious. “To be studious is to seek knowledge and to seek it rightly,” Kristian explains. “A studious person realizes her own limits and knows she cannot be well informed about everything.” This approach means engaging deeply with fewer stories while rejecting the need to jump at every headline.

God calls us not merely to be informed about the suffering around us but to step into it.

Begin by fasting from TV news, app notifications, and daily rundown emails. Remove the noise for at least a few weeks, and reflect on any difference this makes to your relationships, mood, and anxiety levels.

As you take time to read Scripture, journal, pray, and discuss this experience with your community, notice if there are a few causes or needs that remain on your heart and mind. Consider how the Lord might be calling you to devote your prayers, hands, and finances to those situations. Then begin rebuilding your newsfeed to consume information in a way that helps you better love God and care for your neighbors.

The Christian life isn’t about being informed on every topic we encounter. It’s about being part of God’s transforming work in the world as he writes the eternal story—no matter the news of the day.

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