News is part of everyday life for many of us. But for some it’s a vice. An addiction to news can have clear mental health impacts, researchers now say. Is complete abstinence the only way out for doomscrolling junkies? — dpa
BERLIN: War reports, news on devastating forest fires, coronavirus updates and the latest figures in inflation and rising energy prices – every day we are pelted with bad news.
One notification is about a potential China-Taiwan conflict, the next is on a serious traffic accident in our own neighbourhood, and in between a breaking news item pops up.
Some of us can scroll through news updates again and again, from morning to night, and get along fine.
For others, checking the latest headlines is a problem. New research now shows there may well be a link between the compulsive urge for news and health problems.
People with a level of news consumption that is classified as problematic have a higher risk of physical and mental problems, according to the findings of a study in the journal Health Communication.
The researchers describe “problematic news consumption” on the basis of various criteria.
Those affected check news uncontrollably, for example, find it more difficult to detach themselves from it and much later they still think about the events they read.
“Witnessing these events unfold in the news can bring about a constant state of high alert in some people, kicking their surveillance motives into overdrive and making the world seem like a dark and dangerous place,” says Bryan McLaughlin of Texas Tech University, one of the authors.
To explore whether there is a link between problematic news consumption and health, the researchers analysed data from an online survey of 1,100 adults in the US.
This looked at media consumption, as well as physical ailments and psychological problems such as stress and anxiety.
People more likely to click on bad news The results showed that 16.5% of respondents showed signs of “very problematic news consumption”. According to the analysis, they were noticeably more likely to have mental or physical illnesses.
The researchers write that “a vicious cycle can develop in which, rather than tuning out, they become drawn further in, obsessing over the news and checking for updates around the clock to alleviate their emotional distress.” The researchers also clarify that they see a difference between someone with a negative news tendencies and a so-called “news junkie”, or someone who is particularly interested in news.
“We argue it is not the amount of news that one consumes that is problematic so much as the nature in which it is consumed,” the researchers write.
However, the authors point out that it is not clear from the data whether media consumption is actually the cause of the problems or whether other factors play a role.
To clarify this, studies with a different structure are needed, says Leonard Reinecke, professor for media effects and media psychology at the University of Mainz in Germany, who was not involved in the study. It is clear, he said, that bad news has short-term negative effects on our mood.
“We absorb world events through news,” Reinecke said. “If there is a war in Europe, if people are dying, if we are affected by the pandemic ourselves, then of course it doesn’t leave us cold.” The fact that people are more likely to click on bad news is evolutionary, according to Nora Walter, a professor of business psychology at the FOM University of Applied Sciences for Economics and Management who was also not involved in the study.
“We click on disaster headlines to look for information that protects us from a possible threat,” Walter says. “But if you constantly surround yourself with only negative news, there is a danger that at some point you will no longer be able to think a positive thought.” The search for a healthy approach to the news Anyone with a smartphone can find themselves confronted with a limitless flood of news at all times, Walter says.
“On social media, there is always a new update, a new post, a new video. You just scroll and scroll. So it’s difficult to say: Now I’ll stop and do something else.” But Walter says if you feel negatively affected by your news consumption, you can get a grip on it again. One strategy is to limit yourself to a certain number of articles per day, the psychologist explains.
“Or you limit yourself in terms of time and take half an hour to read, for example. As soon as the alarm clock rings, you stop.” The authors of the study also advocate not switching off news completely – but finding a healthy way of dealing with it.
They see the responsibility for this not only with the news consumers themselves, however, but also with the media industry. Journalists should not only focus on attention-grabbing stories, says McLaughlin.
“The results of our study emphasise that the commercial pressures that news media face are not just harmful to the goal of maintaining a healthy democracy, they also may be harmful to individuals’ health.” – dpa
