Political burnout is an inevitability in politics. Just as presidential approval falls after an election as the hype and bulk of media coverage fades with every passing month, burnout is a common feeling and I sure feel it already.
Burnout stems from “us vs. them” media and fear-based news, which probably rings a bell, regardless of your political affiliation.
Psychology Today reports, “Fear drives us to consume political news, but too much fear leads to exhaustion and learned helplessness.”
Those words have never felt more true.
Part of this exhaustion comes from being in “information bubbles” where “it can feel like Fox News and MSNBC commentators are talking about Americas from two different planets.”
A 2022 Pew survey highlights how partisan animosity now clearly extends to judgments about character with 72% of Republicans and 63% of Democrats saying they believe members of the opposing party are more “immoral” than other Americans.
People are frustrated by social media and the hostile environment created by partisan divides is wearing us down.
Riley Lynch, University of Oregon class of 2025, said, “Given the current state of the country I am truly so burnt out.”
She noted that in the day following the inauguration “the amount of devastating, scary and outright insane news that I have seen has been enough for a lifetime.”
“It’s hard to keep up on the news when it all just makes me feel so disheartened and like I don’t have a future. That combined with the constant political content around the election has me so tired of reading the news,” Lynch said.
Alex Freeman, a student at St. John’s University New York in the class of 2026, said, “I have political burnout since I was able to understand politics. Continuously watching and seeing misinformation, improper reporting and overall repetition of the same information for weeks on end can leave one feeling as if they have no bright side or future in sight.”
Freeman said that, “Whether Democrat or Republican, our nation is built on a system that tells us to work together, but is set up to divide us.”
Grace Bambabate, a student at the University of Utah, class of 2027 said, “It wasn’t until my sophomore year of high school that I really got into politics and educated myself on the ins and outs of politics. So it hasn’t been that long that I’ve been into politics but I already feel burnt out.”
“It just feels like unless you are a part of the 1% your opinion doesn’t really matter. It doesn’t feel like the government has our best interest (in mind),” Bambabte said.
This is a common thread among students all over America. Elections are tiring and draining, and this is coming from a political science student.
Whether you are happy about the election or not, a weariness about politics will set in for most Americans after this wild, chaotic and emotion-fueled election comes to a close.
We can cope with and handle politics to the best of our ability, but ignoring it is not a remedy.
I’m not saying you must be hyperactive and constantly check the news. I don’t. However, being aware of the systematic changes happening in our democracy is still important.
Whether you agree or disagree with the changes to our democracy is not my point. Regardless of how you feel, it is undeniable that norms are being broken.
Even though we’re all tired of politics, politics will continue to affect you whether or not you pay attention.
