We live in a world where we can get information about the news with the click of a button. If we wanted to watch a cute dog video at any given moment, we could do so with a simple Google search! This constant news information stream makes it so that we can be alerted whenever anything happens globally, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Just recently, a man built a 17-foot snowman named Frosty in Barrie, Ontario!
Photo credit: Steve Mansbridge/CTV News
I don’t know about you, but I need to know this type of information instantaneously. This information overload seems to be ideal, doesn’t it? According to Psychology Today, news information overload is actually one of the biggest causes of stress and anxiety within our society. Why is this the case?
It’s Sad to Say, but a Majority of News is Negative News
Not all of the news that we consume is as uplifting as a 17-foot snowman. Negative news gets focused on because it is deemed to be more engaging. Regularly being exposed to the news sets your brain up to have a constant rate of negative information coming in.
“Our brain is predisposed to go negative, and the news we consume reflects this.” - Loretta Breuning, California State University
It may not even be noticeable. You may just have the news playing as background noise in your living room, but your brain will pick up on the negative information flowing in. Of course, there is news out there that is wholesome, but we have to get through the clutter of negative news to reach it. Sometimes it’s just too much for our brains to handle and leads to being in a state of stress.
We Check the News far Too Often
I get it. It’s interesting to know what’s going on in the world or what the latest cat video is.
Photo by Tomas Tuma on Unsplash
The fact is that 1 in 10 individuals claim to check the news once every hour. This constant rate of news information may be keeping us informed and more knowledgeable about the world around us. You may even become the most knowledgeable person in your friend group!
“The more news you consume, the more you’ll have that in the back of your mind,” - Dr. Carole Lieberman, Psychiatrist
Is this worth the stress and anxiety that comes with being exposed to the constant news information overload? Your brain will begin to function in a state of always being aware. We have all lied awake at night, where we can’t stop thinking about the world around us. The news follows us. The anxiety that it brings by always being stressed about the news can be dialled back by finding ways to consume news for just a few minutes a day!
The Effects of News Information Overload are Long-Term Effects
Many of us try to combat anxiety by remaining in control. If we know enough about our world through the news, then we can stay in control.
“In the long term, these behaviours are increasing our anxiety by feeding into this belief that if we have enough information, we can control what happens,” - Jacqueline Bullis, PhD.
We already know what an overload of news information can lead to, so it’s like being on a roller coaster that you cannot get off of! We try to control and reduce our anxiety levels by consuming more news, but this just increases our anxiety levels. By staying on this roller coaster of information, the effect that this has on our anxiety levels is long-term. Luckily, there are ways that you can mitigate this anxiety and stress.
Don’t worry; you can still watch your dog and cat videos, but these steps will help you reduce the amount of anxiety you feel while consuming the news. Check out our article on 5 Strategies to Reduce Technological Anxiety to learn about how you can implement strategies to improve your digital wellness
Use Trebble FM to Reduce Your Stress and Anxiety Levels
A great way to reduce the time you spend online is by using Trebble Shortcasts to get informed each day. You can subscribe to shortcasts from your favourite new sources, ensuring that the content is high quality and stress-free. The app has been designed so you don't have to waste more time than necessary to follow your favourite stories.