After President Donald Trump’s second inauguration, Jay, a 49-year-old living in upstate New York, underwent a “total media blackout.” This meant he deleted social media and avoided the news as much as possible. As someone who struggled with a severe panic disorder, general anxiety and depression, he needed a break from reading about politics, which had become a toxic part of his life.

Jay, who asked not to have his last name published because of a fear of doxxing, said he’s lost friends because of politics and had familial relationships strained over the years. While he previously found Reddit to be a place of negative reactions to the news, nearly six weeks after his self-imposed blackout, he discovered the subreddit Political Optimism, a place where people take current U.S. and global

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