Most of the older members will tell you that there is a kind of "war of attrition" that goes on the forum. One groups struggles with another and most people views are
pretty stable. They don't change necessarily in the course of one debate but require a longer time span to really be affected. (e.g. some members do go from atheist to religious or vice versa, but it can take months and years of exploration and self-discovery). The longer you're here, the more you spot patterns as certain topics get debated over and over again and you get to know people better. It can be very wearing and being constantly bombarded by one thing after another can get disorientating and unsettling.
Certain kinds of news events, such as terrorist attacks and mass shootings, do have a very clear and sudden effect on debates on the forum and it can get ugly as people react defensively to the situation. Once you've seen it a few times, you'll recognise it when it starts up. But the general tone is almost certainly a reflection of what is going offline, both in the wider world and in people's lives. I believe that since the election of 2015-2016, politics has become a much more aggressive priority on the forum, but without hard data to back it up, it's hard to prove.
It's worth occasionally taking a break from the forum as it can get "inside your head" with a kind of tunnel vision. You may focus and obsess on certain things which may later not have the importance and urgency they may first appear to have. It's easy to get sucked in because the passion of it is addictive. I think it happens to all of us, particularly when we discuss subjects we care about. So it's sometimes best to log off, go for a walk, read a good book or listen to a moving piece of music as a space for mental and spiritual healing.
Basically, you're welfare comes first.