Many people might think that following the news is a good thing. But everything in moderation, as they say.
And that probably includes news consumption. The points out a new study at least.
Because according to the study, people with a huge news consumption are more likely to suffer from stress, anxiety and physical illnesses.
It is the negative focus on problems – of which we have had enough recently – that is particularly affecting the big consumers of news.
“For these individuals, a vicious cycle can develop in which, instead of dropping out, they are led further and further in, obsessing over the news and checking updates to relieve their emotional discomfort. But that doesn’t help. Because the more they check the news, the more it starts to interfere with other aspects of their lives,” says Bryan McLaughlin, a professor in the College of Media and Communication at Texas Tech University, according to MedicalXpress .
In the study, researchers analyzed data from an online survey in which 1,100 Americans participated.
The results showed that 16.5 percent of respondents showed signs of ‘seriously problematic’ news consumption. Consumption characterised by becoming so preoccupied and personally invested in news stories that it dominates one’s thoughts to such an extent that it interferes with socialising with family and friends and makes it difficult to focus on work, in addition to restlessness and difficulty sleeping.
This group with ‘severely problematic’ news consumption was significantly more likely to experience mental and physical challenges than those with lower levels of news consumption – even after the researchers controlled for demographics and personality traits.
In the group of people who had ‘severely problematic’ news consumption, 73.6 percent had experienced mental discomfort ‘quite a lot’ or ‘very much’, compared with only 8 percent of other study participants with more normal news consumption.
In addition, 61 percent of the group suffered physical discomfort ‘quite a lot’ or ‘very much’ compared to only 6.1 percent for the group with normal news consumption.
The study was published in the scientific journal Health Communication.
Read also:
- Danish research is on the trail of the muscle pill
Eat a pill and get bigger muscles. It sounds almost too good to be true. And it is – yet. But a research group led by Professor Simon Bekker-Jensen from the Centre for Healthy Ageing at the University of Copenhagen has come a step closer, a new study shows published in The EMBO Journal. And… Read more: Danish research is on the trail of the muscle pill - News addiction linked to poor mental and physical healthMany people might think that following the news is a good thing. But everything in moderation, as they say. And that probably includes news consumption. The points out a new study at least. Because according to the study, people with a huge news consumption are more likely to suffer from stress, anxiety and physical illnesses.… Read more: News addiction linked to poor mental and physical health
- Increase in cancer cases in young people is linked to daily routines
Researchers at the University of California have discovered how the circadian clock affects cell growth, metabolism, and tumor progression. In today’s world, there is an alarming increase in the incidence of cancer at a young age, including colorectal cancer (colon cancer). The underlying cause of this increased incidence of cancer in adults between the ages… Read more: Increase in cancer cases in young people is linked to daily routines - Scientists have created “artificial” embryos without eggs or sperm
The University of Cambridge has created “artificial” embryos from mouse stem cells that have a beating heart, as well as the bases of the brain and all other organs. This is a major milestone and the most advanced stage of development achieved to date in a stem cell-derived model. The models are intended to help… Read more: Scientists have created “artificial” embryos without eggs or sperm - One vaccine for all types of flu: trials of a universal vaccineScientists at the University of Georgia have evaluated the performance of a universal flu vaccine on young and old mice. Modern influenza vaccinations are based on strain-specific immunity to hemagglutinin, a highly variable immune defense target. An annual flu shot is recommended, but the efficacy of the seasonal vaccine is unpredictable and can be below… Read more: One vaccine for all types of flu: trials of a universal vaccine
The articles on this site are for information purposes only. The site administrators are not responsible for attempting to apply any recipe, advice or diet, nor do they guarantee that the information provided will help or harm you personally. Be cautious and always consult a doctor or nutritionist!
*All products recommended are selected by our editorial team. Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, you help us earn a small commission from the seller and thus support the writing of useful and quality articles.
