Pandemics, contentious political environments, economic distress, continued war, ecological degradation, climate change, wildfires – all these themes have featured in the 24-hour news cycle over the last few years, and it can be exhausting to constantly follow them all. However, consistently engaging with negative news is not just demoralizing. The frequent consumption of such information can actually have impacts on our well-being, undermining our mental health while also damaging our physical health. This latter point is often overlooked.
It probably isn’t too shocking to hear that being fixated on the news cycle can be bad for us, but there is a difference between being a bit preoccupied with the daily doom and gloom and actual problematic news consumption. “News junkies”, people who are just extremely interested in the news and therefore consume large amounts of it are not the same as people with a maladaptive relationship with the news.
This latter group of people are those who enter into a vicious cycle whereby they become drawn further into chasing certain stories, obsessing over events, and checking for updates around the clock in an effort to ease their distress. Alas, this approach doesn’t work, as it just makes it more likely that you’ll want to check the news, over and over again.
As a result, you can experience serious blows to your overall well-being. For instance, chasing the news can lead one to stay in a constant high alert state, potentially leading to heightened stress and anxiety, as well as depression.
That’s because, when we’re exposed to information about violence, disasters, political and economic instability, or emerging diseases, the portions of our brains responsible for the “fight-or-flight” response kick in. So, despite the events we’re following being somewhere else, we can still feel a personal response to them, possibly leading to a cortisol spike in our brains, which might trigger sweating palms, pounding hearts, and other reactions.
In a 2016 study, researchers at Northeastern University examined people’s responses to news stories about the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. The team found that participants who were exposed to stories containing more negative words reported greater levels of distress. Those who were the most sensitive to a heightened level of stress were also more physically reactive to images of bombings afterward.
In another study, conducted in 2022, researchers at Texas Tech University found that those who feel the need to check the news in a problematic way may suffer from greater mental and physical ill health. Those with problematic news consumption habits that have entered into the vicious cycle feel absorbed and trapped in a dangerous world without the possibility of escape.
Over time, this can have deleterious impacts on their health. Aside from the known mental health issues, the persistent rise in stress may lead to increased inflammation, which itself can lead to various diseases. Although it should be noted that this response is less about the overexposure to a stressor and more to do with the person’s perception of it as a threat.
In this study, the researchers surveyed 1,100 US adults who were asked about their levels of news consumption and how consumed by it they were. They were also asked how often they experienced feelings of stress, anxiety, and other physical ailments such as fatigue, physical pain, poor concentration, and gastrointestinal issues.
The results showed that 16.5 percent of the surveyed participants showed signs of having “severely problematic” news consumption habits. These individuals were so absorbed by the news that it impacted their wider lives, such as disrupting their sleep or their relationships with friends and family, as well as their ability to focus on work.
These people also reported more mental and physical signs of ill health. Of those with severe problematic news consumption habits, 73.6 percent reported experiencing poor mental health “quite a bit” or “very much” compared to only 8 percent of all other study participants. Sixty-one percent of those with severe levels of problematic news consumption reported physical ill-being “quite a bit” or “very often” compared to only 6 percent of all other study participants.
How can we “detox” from this?
Ultimately, the growing body of research on this subject is showing that there is a need for greater media literacy campaigns to help people address unhealthy consumption habits. But it is a delicate balance, as staying on top of current affairs is valued as part of the democratic process and being an informed citizen.
Nevertheless, there are methods and resources out there to help those who recognize they have a potentially unhealthy relationship with the news. Firstly, you should take a break from the news during your day, avoid doomscrolling (which can be achieved by regulating how much time you spend online or confining it to specific times), do something relaxing after consuming the news, and be aware of the content you’re consuming and how it is influencing you.
If anything, a break from this type of consumption will at least let your brain digest the information it has and take a break from its high alert state.
Aside from the personal approach, there is a deeper societal conversation needed about how our culture of news production and consumption operates. Bad news gets attention, and even we at IFLScience are not immune to the pressures to find interesting and engaging stories that capture readers’ attention. Unfortunately, this means that many stories deemed worthy of the wider 24-hour news cycle tend to be negative ones, which can drag people into the cycles we’ve discussed here.
Balance, as with all things, is the key. If you do feel overwhelmed with the negative news cycle, remember, you’re not alone, and there are ways to address it. If you don’t completely disengage from it, at least supplement your “diet” with stories that also promote acts of heroism, kindness, and resilience as a way to buffer your mind against the bleaker topics.
The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
Source Link: Negative News Can Take Its Toll On Your Health – Here's How A "Detox" Could Help
