Why is it that we are attracted to sad things? The newspapers are full of negative news.This trend continues even in films - tragedy and violence dominate. As an inveterate online forum hopper, I have noticed that the assumed names and avatars of some members reflect the same trend. We all remember the numerous occasions when we were in a group and how when someone brought up such a topic, everyone else was pitched in with their own stories, equally morbid. Tearjerker movies and stories have their own fan following. As someone said, bad news sells. But why this fascination for the bad? 
This is a question psychologists and sociologists try to answer. One possible answer is that bad news draws more attention due to the survival instinct inherited by evolution. Bad news attracts attention because we try to avoid such situation for ourselves. There are other theories, but none satisfactorily explains our fascination for the morbid.
Well, is that good or bad? Personally, I feel people who constantly feed themselves with bad news tend to have more negativity than others. This is my perception of course, and I cannot offer any proof of that. But, I tried out a little experiment. For a week, I completely skipped the negative news which usually takes up more than half the news (Consequently, I finished the morning newspaper much faster than usual) and refrained from watching the news on the television. The change was perceptible. I felt at peace and tended to get angry less often. So I decided to follow the same routine on all days. The changes have stayed and so has my new attitude towards news. After all, why should I be interested in all the tragedies, scams and other news of the same genre?
Don't believe me? Doesn't hurt to try it out, does it?
