A new study revealed that “problematic news consumption”Poor mental well-being and poor physical health are linked.
The study found that PublishedWednesday, by the journal Health Communications, results “show greater mental and physical ill-being among those with higher levels of problematic news consumption compared to those with lower levels.”
This study identified problematic news consumption. “emerging from a constant state of high alert and as being indulged to alleviate emotional distress”With the knowledge that media consumption might “bring relief from obsessive thoughts.” Some scholars classify problematic media behaviors and consumption as a form of addiction, while others note that, unlike other forms of addiction, “media addictions”It is rare that it leads to “severe life consequences.”
Problematic news consumption “likely involves becoming absorbed in news stories,”The study found that people can be carried into news stories, especially those containing conflict or drama. Preoccupation is when an individual continues to consume news stories even after the consumption ends. “continuously worr[ies] about stressful events or imagined futures.”
If news consumption is not properly regulated or misregulated, it can lead to problematic news consumption. This is why “misregulation often occurs as a misguided attempt to regulate short-term affect,” one might indulge in news consumption in the hopes of improving their mood in the immediate future, but there are chances of greater emotional distress in the long-term.
As a result, problematic news consumption may negatively impact or disrupt an individual’s life.
Using data from an online survey of 1,100 people across the country, the study first established that problematic news consumption involves becoming consumed with thoughts about and immersed in the news, “attempting to alleviate feelings of threat by consuming more news, experiencing a loss of control over consumption of the news and experiencing diminished time for and attention to other aspects of one’s life.”
According to the study, 16.5% of respondents were classified as “having severely problematic news consumption.”
Analysing the data shows that “those with higher levels of problematic news consumption are significantly more likely to experience mental and physical ill-being than those with lower levels.”
“Much is left to learn about problematic news consumption, its individual and societal consequences, and what might be done to help mitigate these consequences,”The study concluded. “There is an urgent need for the continued documentation of experiences of those with higher levels of problematic news consumption through both quantitative and qualitative methods.”