From NPR’s 1A hosted by Jenn White. Produced by Michael Falero. April 8, 2026.
TYDE Co-Lead Bethany Teachman weighs in at 31:22. Listen here.
What does your daily routine look like every morning? Brush your teeth. Shower. Get ready for the day. Make breakfast. If you have a pet, you make sure they’re set for the day, too. Maybe you check in with your loved ones by text or with a quick call.
You open up a news app or your preferred social media network. And then, the outside world arrives on your phone.
It’s a flood of information. Breaking news notifications. About war in the Middle East. An energy crisis from that war, and a potential food crisis. Rising prices, political violence, and an economy and job market nobody has straight answers about. Oh, and the continued specter of climate change.
It hijacks your morning. You’re late out the door because of what you were reading. You’re feeling much less cheery than when you woke up.
What can consuming lots of distressing news and content on social media networks do to our brains? And if the online world isn’t getting better any time soon, what does a sustainable relationship with that world look like?
Segment guests:
Kate Woodsome, founder, Invisible Threads
Dr. Aditi Nerurkar, physician, Harvard Medical School; author, “The 5 Resets: Rewire Your Brain and Body for Less Stress and More Resilience”
Bethany Teachman, professor, University of Virginia; co-director, “Thriving Youth in a Digital Environment” at UVA
