News addiction linked to not only poor mental wellbeing but physical health too, new study shows
"People with an obsessive urge to constantly check the news are more likely to suffer from stress, anxiety, as well as physical ill health, finds a new study published in the peer-reviewed journal Health Communication.
"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, associate professor of advertising at the College of Media and Communication at Texas Tech University.
In the survey, people were asked about the extent to which they agreed with statements like "I become so absorbed in the news that I forget the world around me," "my mind is frequently occupied with thoughts about the news," "I find it difficult to stop reading or watching the news," and "I often do not pay attention at school or work because I am reading or watching the news."
Respondents were also asked about how often they experienced feelings of stress and anxiety, as well as physical ailments such as fatigue, physical pain, poor concentration, and gastrointestinal issues.
The results revealed that 16.5% of people surveyed showed signs of 'severely problematic' news consumption. Such individuals frequently became so immersed and personally invested in news stories that the stories dominated the individual's waking thoughts, disrupted time with family and friends, made it difficult to focus on school or work, and contributed to restlessness and an inability to sleep.
"However, for certain types of people, the conflict and drama that characterize newsworthy stories not only grab their attention and draw them in, but also can lead to a maladaptive relationship with the news. Thus, the results of our study emphasize 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.""
Read the complete article available at Science Daily!
Reflection:
Does the news affect your mental/physical health? How do you manage?
*It can sometimes affect me but I limit the amount of news articles I read. I stay updated by I don't constantly read them*
#News #Addiction #MentalHealth #PhysicalHealth
@comfortableNight4463
The news can definitely bring up some anxiety as sometimes the amount of negative news is overwhelming.
I try to manage by watching funny videos afterwards!
Thanks for the informative read 💛✨
@comfortableNight4463
Yes it does, especially reading about COVID does make me get more anxious so I try to limit my time reading about the news