How does control and manipulation affect one’s mental health? Is there a lasting psychological impact?

[Carolina]

You’re being manipulated. Every day, by the media you consume and the people you interact with. Even the products you buy are specifically marketed to get you interested. A catchy jingle you can’t get out of your head, packaging in colors your brain is attracted to, “limited time only” sales that draw you in.

Of course, most of that is trivial, so long as it stops there. But it doesn’t.

Once you become aware of how much of the world around you is trying to manipulate you, you may start to wonder. Are my opinions even my own? How much of what I’m told is a lie? Am I just playing into someone else’s agenda? What can I trust?

Most of us have had these thoughts. We’ve realized not everything we read is true. We know people in power lie and cover things up. We recognize the way facts are twisted depending on where they’re being presented.

But seeing the way we’re being manipulated is only half the battle, now we have to live with it.

And how tiring is that!

“Fake news” is designed to provoke a strong emotional response in readers. That means, even if you know a headline is false, you’re still left feeling uneasy. Not to mention you’ve just caught someone trying to lie to you, and you can’t do anything about it.

Cases of “headline anxiety” or “headline stress disorder” have been on the rise since the 2016 election. I’ve experienced it myself, but despite my occasional feelings of dread surrounding the news, it’s nearly impossible to escape. It’s fed to you through the TV, radio, family and friends, and social media. The average American takes in around 34 gigabytes of information a day, and that number will inevitably rise even higher over time.

Clearly this is having an effect on us, but what exactly does control and manipulation do to one’s mental health?

It’s stressful, for one. Stress can cause changes in the brain that make people more prone to mood and anxiety disorders. Stomach aches, headaches, insomnia, irritability, and teeth grinding can all be caused by chronic stress as well.

There are ways to minimize this headline anxiety, like limiting how much time you spend reading the news and actively seeking out positive stories. Make sure you never check the news before bed, and never start the day with stressful breaking headlines. And remember, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, it's okay to disconnect completely for a while.

But what about when it’s more serious than twisted headlines and little white lies? What kind of influence does propaganda have on someone?

Propaganda is essentially emotional manipulation. By creating feelings of hope, fear, hatred, and love, public opinion can be controlled to suit the agenda of a political, religious, or social institution. It strips you of personal ideology and markets a new message to you. No matter how resilient or rational you may be, propaganda would be able to persuade you.

And this isn’t just in the media. Emotional manipulation is common in personal relationships as well. A partner, friend, or family member who frequently lies, withholds information, or gaslights you, is being manipulative. It’s a form of abuse, and it can have a really destructive impact on one’s psychological health. Trust issues, lack of self-confidence, emotional dependency on the abuser, isolation, and shame are all effects of emotional manipulation.

So, whether it be manipulation from the media or from a personal relationship, it’s important to recognize it early on. By identifying techniques manipulators use to exploit people, you can protect yourself in the future.



Sources:

Cherry, Kendra. “5 Surprising Ways That Stress Affects Your Brain.” Verywell Mind, Verywell Mind, 20 Mar. 2020, www.verywellmind.com/surprising-ways-....
Damiano, Justine. “The Psychology Of Propaganda: War Tool Turned Marketing Tactic.” Magellantv.com, 16 Oct. 2018, www.magellantv.com/articles/the-psych....
Erdelyi, Karina Margit. “The Psychological Impact of Information Warfare & Fake News.” Psycom.net - Mental Health Treatment Resource Since 1986, 2018, www.psycom.net/iwar.1.html.
“How Much Information? 34 GB a Day.” KDnuggets, www.kdnuggets.com/2009/12/pub-how-muc....
Izuma, Keise, and Ralph Adolphs. “Social Manipulation of Preference in the Human Brain.” Neuron, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 8 May 2013, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC....
Parker, Holly. “Fake News and the Illusory Truth Effect.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 10 Nov. 2019, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/your-....
Ramsey, Nancy. “Headline Stress Disorder: When Breaking News Is Bad for Your Health.” Healthline.com, 23 July 2018, www.healthline.com/health-news/headli....
Vanderwicken, Peter. “Why the News Is Not the Truth.” Harvard Business Review, 1 Aug. 2014, hbr.org/1995/05/why-the-news-is-not-t....

[Aditya]

Well in one word, yes.
In many words, we can say that manipulation and control of a single entity can lead him to fear the consequences of his actions. Thus, in The Trial we notice that Joseph K underwent similar trauma due to a false sense of power. When he realized that society or the clockwork nature of a Kafkaesque society controls him- as a result manipulating his actions- he had no moral misgivings and decided that he needed to follow the 'system.'

When we as individuals feel controlled, it is because we fear persecution and rejection of our beliefs. Furthermore, such an attack on our belief system can harm us in the long term. After all as we think we become, and feeling that society can normalize our said actions can put us at a weakness.

We become weaker and lose ego. Some ego is needed to sustain character and self-identification . Without any sense of self, a person would face depressed self-confidence and trauma.

Anxiety follows us everywhere, even at dinner parties where one out-of-place remark can put us in an undesirable situation. In 1984, this feeling is amplified and many years later, we understand the importance of freedom of speech. Without this basic right, we become desensitized to ourselves. With the constant broadcasting of Double speak, it is abundantly clear, that the citizens are left in the fog without outside influence.

Much like a frog left in progressively heating water that never leaves it despite it reaching scalding temperatures.
A characteristic of long term trauma and mental health issues is the denial associated with it. WYoVictims of this necer realize they are being manipulated and in fact defend the ceaseless atrocities. One will notice this in patriotic North Koreans, who may on the surface, seem rather proud of their Supreme leader. However, we all know that inside fear of imprisonment at the hands of unknown agents still lurks, like a constant reminder of death's constant beckon.

People do not wish to be taught and brought up to follow a regimented country. But, the desensitization to captivity becomes apparent to any outsider who has not faced similar anxiety and crippling doubt in their minds. The pressure of living under an authoritarian regime can only characterized by the constant onslaught of propaganda. Anything that survives is by the majority's support and the push of biased propaganda. The news may not always tell the truth. You have to read between the lines and display courage. However, this courage is moulded into blind faith and loyalty. The trauma is therefore evident as a person loses the essence of freedom and freewill too.