How the ‘news’ impacts mental health

With social media, online sources and television stations running 24/7 we are exposed to more news than ever before. Our parents and grandparents waited for the printing of a daily newspaper or the local radio station to update them on local, national and world news yet we are now at a time when those who control the news are constantly scooping themselves with real time updates.

The news we are reading, listening to, and watching is sometimes good, sometimes bad, and often horrific and there is little we can do to filter our intake of news stories. There is often the risk of young people absorbing disturbing content and a real issue with adults and young people being able to discern the level of news content which is deemed healthy and appropriate.

While there is a need to remain vigilant and updated on local, state, national and world affairs including climatic and economic events, there is a theory that we all need a break from the continual barrage of news content. In past times, we received this break by having limited sources of news but with content now being available at any time of the day and night, we are often unable to “switch off”. There is a danger that our news intake can frequently come from sources that are not reputable and from opinion pieces rather than fact.

Sara Lindberg believes that the media we consume daily has an impact on our thinking, behaviour, and emotions. If you’ve fallen into a pattern of regularly watching or listening to the news, the majority of what you’re consuming is likely about the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. And while staying up to date on local and national news, especially as it relates to mandates and health updates, is critical during this time, experts say over-consumption of the news can take a toll on your physical, emotional, and mental health. (verywellmind.com)

A Time magazine article reported that a recent survey from the American Psychological Association found that, for many Americans, news consumption has a downside. More than half of Americans say the news causes them stress, and many report feeling anxiety, fatigue or sleep loss as a result, the survey shows. Yet one in 10 adults checks the news every hour, and fully 20% of Americans report “constantly” monitoring their social media feeds—which often exposes them to the latest news headlines, whether they like it or not. “The way that news is presented and the way that we access news has changed significantly over the last 15 to 20 years,” says Graham Davey, a professor emeritus of psychology at Sussex University in the UK and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Experimental Psychopathology. “These changes have often been detrimental to general mental health.” (time.com)

What can we do to limit potentially disturbing news content especially for children and young people? You can limit your news consumption to an hour a day – perhaps midday and evening. Reduce any opportunity to look at news items before bed and ensure that young people and children have access to appropriate content including news stories.
Going for a walk, taking up a hobby, removing alerts from our phones and laptops and most importantly engaging with others instead of a screen. It’s a good idea to be discerning about where news is coming from and a good majority of us gain our news sources from social media.

A Medical Daily article explains that the main difference between today and prior news coverage is social media. Seventy-four percent of online adults use social media networks, according to Pew Research Center, with half of these users using the site for daily news. Additionally, 78 percent of Facebook users (which reaches more adults than any other site) indirectly see shared news stories. Cue the stress. “When our brain perceives a threatening situation, our bodies begin to produce stress hormones that enter the brain and may modulate memories of stressful or negative events,” Sonia Lupien, director of the Centre for Studies on Human Stress in Montreal, said in a press release. “Be a little bit conscious of the way the news is affecting you. Understand what bothers you and why and how it contributes to your stress level,” Jesse Singal, senior editor of NYMag.com, told HuffPost Live. (medicaldaily.com)

One thing to be aware of is compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue is an emotional and physical state of exhaustion that results from caring for others, especially those who are in distress. When a person is experiencing compassion fatigue their ability to empathize towards those who are suffering is diminished. Usually those who are in caring professions or working with individuals who are experiencing trauma experience compassion fatigue, but since the advent of social media and people being exposed to traumatic events on a daily basis through the different social media channels, they are experiencing compassion fatigue as a result of witnessing the traumatic events.(truandbeyond.com)

What are the signs of compassion fatigue / social media burnout?
• Inability to focus or concentrate
• Physical fatigue
• Social avoidance
• Insomnia
• Muscle tension
• Headaches
• Feeling irritated or agitated
• Feeling zoned out or numb
• Feeling angry or enraged
• Having obsessive or erratic thoughts

Ultimately, reducing the time spent on social media and various news sources and caring for our physical and mental health is the best antidote to compassion fatigue and social media/news burnout.
Stay informed within reasonable limits and talk to others or seek professional help if you witness distressing content.

And a final few words from writer ‘trubeyond’ - Remember the body does not know the difference between thoughts and reality. So, if you are watching traumatic events, your body and mind are processing it as if it were happening to you.

Sources:
https://www.verywellmind.com/is-watching-the-news-bad-for-mental-health-4802320#:~:text=To%20help%20alleviate%20the%20mental%20and%20emotional%20toll,since%20hearing%20about%20a%20pandemic%20repeatedly%20is%20upsetting

https://time.com/5125894/is-reading-news-bad-for-you/

https://www.medicaldaily.com/psychological-effect-bad-news-and-what-you-can-do-stay-positive-298084

https://www.truandbeyond.com/tackling-compassion-fatigue-social-media-burnout/