It's lame to be the guy who thinks the status quo is pretty good and that things are progressing nicely. It won't win you many friends at parties. Empirically, it's socially optimal to be the guy who insists we have to smash capitalism, or that the West is exploiting Africa and keeping it poor, or that if we don't cut our economic production by 20% in the next 10 years then nature will revolt and kill us all. Things like that sell.

Fear is a stronger motivator than hope. People are more motivated to inform themselves about threats than about positive things.

Doom tends to be fast and concentratedd. Goodness tends to be slow, steady, and diffuse.

People are gossip machines. We innately talk to each other, about each other. It's one thing that has led us to develop culture. Or it might be because of culture. Anyway, people spread good news: Good harvest!, job promotion, new baby! But we also spread rumors, true or not. When you combine small village communication, then ramp that up to mega cities, it can seem people only pay attention to the bad news.

Also consider that this entire statement is false. We hear good news all the time. I generally consider much on HN to be good, like this story. I see good things even on regular cable news. We have to be careful to see if we set up our own filters unintentionally. If all you think you hear is doom, go out of your way to find the good. You might. E surprised what you find.