Alarmism

Excessive or exaggerated alarm about a real or imagined threat

Alarmism is excessive or exaggerated alarm of a real or imagined threat. Alarmism connotes attempts to excite fears or giving warnings of great danger in a manner that is amplified, overemphasized or unwarranted. In the news media, alarmism can often be found in the form of yellow journalism where reports sensationalise a story to exaggerate small risks.[1]

Alarmist personality

The alarmist person is subject to the cognitive distortion of catastrophizing – of always expecting the worst of possible futures.[2]

They may also be seeking to preserve feelings of omnipotence by trying to generate anxiety, apprehension and concern in others.[3]

See also

  • 2009 flu pandemic
  • 2012 phenomenon
  • Cassandra complex
  • Climate alarmism
  • Culture of fear – fear and anxiety in public discourse
  • False alarm
  • Hypochondriasis – excessive fear of illness and physical harm
  • Mass hysteria – public fear in large populations
  • Moral panic – threat to societal values
  • Scaremongering (also called fear mongering) – use of fear to influence opinions
  • Sociology of disaster – a special branch of sociology
  • The Boy Who Cried Wolf – fable about false alarmism
  • The Sky Is Falling – fable about alarmism
  • Safety culture
  • Conspiracy theory

References

  1. ^ "The Risk of Poor Coverage of Risk". Columbia Journalism Review.
  2. ^ P. Gilbert, Overcoming Depression (1999) p. 88-90
  3. ^ T. Pitt-Aikens, Loss of the Good Authority (1989) p. 99


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