Flip on the television and it's nearly impossible to avoid coverage of the Iraqi war. It is perhaps the most extensively covered conflict ever. While some mental health professionals are worried that constant exposure to war news may take a toll on the American psyche, other professionals are not so sure the public will be duly traumatized.
Instead, too much coverage may make the war seem mundane, let alone cause trauma in viewers. "The danger of this kind of coverage is that it may seem boring and not entertaining," says Stuart Fischoff, Ph.D., a media expert and professor of psychology at California State University at Los Angeles. "War in reality is never as interesting as Hollywood makes it out to be. What if war had bad ratings?" Barring huge tragedies, people may pay less and less attention to the conflict in the next few weeks. As a result this war may become irrelevant.
The majority of Americans is living life normally. Among ordinary people not directly involved in the conflict, the chance of depression and anxiety from war coverage is small. Only a minority of news-junkies could become overwhelmed by news coverage. Unlike the dramatic moments surrounding the terror attacks of September 11, this coverage may seem far too remote.
