Great piece, Susan! I have had conversations touching on these exact topics recently. My mother has her head in the doom and gloom of the world and she has worked herself into a terrible state. My sister and I have both decided to consciously turn off the things that are too mentally draining and depressing. We read what is necessary and keep ourselves aware but we don't get into the conversations around these things.

I was recently talking with a friend who believed there should be no regulating of content at all. I tried to explain to him how people are impressionable and can be influenced by what they read subconsciously, ie, there needs to be responsibility for the effect these things have on people's minds.