It’s actually worse than you think. Extended stress causes the amygdala (part of the brain) to enlarge. This is why abused animals will almost always be far more reactive to stress than baseline.
In humans it’s associated with reduced empathy, and more simplistic thinking (think fast, rather than deep). If those aspects sound familiar, you’re likely seeing the problem. Brain scans can often tell the difference between the brains of people exposed to high stress propaganda, compared to the baseline. This also has a strong association with right wing media consumption.
Basically, the right wing’s Bible thumping, fear inducing, shouty TV actually makes the brain more prone to short term, reactionary thinking, and makes empathising harder.
Even worse, our brains are no more immune. If we let ourselves get worked up too often, it makes our thinking change. However, if we ignore it, then things get worse. It’s a lose lose situation. 😬