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According to a study, the obsessive need to keep up to date with the latest news has a detrimental effect on mental health, but also on physical health.
Do you have this regular reflex to refresh news sites, or social networks, in search of the latest news? You may well be suffering from stress, anxiety, as well as physical health issues, according to a new study published in the journal Health Communication. A phenomenon that is not only linked to the anxiety-provoking information that surrounds us (Covid, war in Ukraine, fires, etc.) but above all to the frequency and excessive exposure to news sites that disturb us.
The permanent info causes a state of alert
Thus, according to the study in question, being exposed to a 24-hour news cycle (to constantly changing events), can have serious repercussions on mental and physical well-being. In particular cause a constant state of alert “making the world appear to be a dark and dangerous place”says Bryan McLaughlin, associate professor of advertising at Texas Tech University’s College of Media and Communication. A state close to dependence which does not encourage the person to disconnect but, on the contrary, to invest more, to check the latest facts, as if to reassure themselves, which establishes a vicious circle interfering with social life of the person.
According to an online survey of 1,100 American adults on their relationship to the news, the feelings caused (stress, anxiety) and physical ailments (pain, lack of concentration, gastrointestinal problems), 16.5% suffer from very problematic ailments: disturbing thoughts, agitation, lack of concentration, inability to sleep… And 61% of these people have already experienced physical discomfort in the face of current events.
Towards a healthier relationship to the news?
According to McLaughlin, the data collected shows that there is a real need for targeted media literacy campaigns to help people develop a healthier relationship with the news. Because stopping pure and simple, however, seems unattainable: “In most cases, the treatment of addictions and compulsive behaviors focuses on the total cessation of the problematic behavior.” But previous research has shown that total disconnection is also not desirable. “Stalling comes at the expense of an individual’s access to information important to their health and safety” McLaughlin advances.
The way industry and the media share information can also contribute to the problem. The study concludes on the urgency of finding a balance in enough information to guarantee a healthy democracy, but in a form that is not detrimental to the health of individuals.