Media-Induced Depression

I went to the spa today to get a massage due to pain from a href=”http://www.naturalbloom.com/articles/ergonomics-5/”RSI/a (repetitive strain injury) from computer overuse. While there, I got an earful from the massage therapist about the economics of the spa business. “This week has been really bad, three people have already cancelled due to the economy, they said they just couldn’t afford to come in.” The broke callers were booked for the whole day for services, she said, and now they were left with many openings. Good for me, since they got me in quickly, but bad for business. I wonder how much the news and media is affecting people, making them feel sick and depressed about the economy, which in turn, is leading them to stay home and eat macaroni (okay, I just ate cheap pasta out of a box for dinner, but at least I was at the spa helping people earn a living). br /br /Anyway, do you think the news is exacerbating people’s depression and fear about the economy? Do you have any examples in your own hometown of similar experiences where people are staying home, bailing out or just plain frightened of what is going on, way beyond what is called for? I really think the media is driving much of the bad news out there. People may be right to be frugal at the moment, but I wonder if Obama wins how long afterward the positive media spin on the economy will take. I recently read that more people are going to therapists over the economy etc. recently. If Obama gets elected, will it be like national Prozac for the media?