>I'm not sure if this absurd thing I came up with is actually what you meant, but just in case it is, here is what I would say about it if I was right.

That aside, no, not at all. Fear is, as you say, very natural. Intentionally looking into topics you know will upset you is not. That's why I referenced doom-scrolling with 'doomer energy'. They start off their comment lamenting about how afraid of this thing they are, then come back and say "bad news everyone, it's actually really bad. This thing that might happen would ruin our lives, destroy society, and it could happen!". That's not just fear. If we're in the sport of irrationally reading into things -- I'd call that fear-mongering.

Me cautioning them against seeking out information that will upset them is not gatekeeping, it is very much me looking out for someone who does not seem to be doing too well. It is what we all have to do in the information age and the subset of social media.