Is the news making us ill?

With reports of people feeling overwhelmed by news coverage we asked two psychologists what the effects can be of watching too much and how to be informed but not get overloaded

If you’ve recently switched on the news only to find yourself moments later turning it off with a sigh, unable to hear any more, you’re not alone.

At the start of the pandemic, consumption of news programmes surged with 99 per cent of us accessing news at least once day, leaving many broadcasters and publications reporting record ratings.

In those early weeks, many of us may have turned to the news for the information and reassurance that studies show we are hard-wired as a species to seek in times of crisis. But now, nearly a year on, it seems some people have had enough of the relentlessly depressing headlines, along with bleak world news.

As a result, recent surveys reveal more people are now turning off from current affairs with a recent poll indicating 59 per cent of us in the UK sometimes, often or always try to avoid the news with two thirds of respondents saying this was because it has a bad effect on their mood.

As far back as 1997, scientists found just 14 minutes of negative news was enough to lead to increased anxiety and low mood, as well as making people exacerbate or catastrophise their own personal worries aside from world events.

A 2015 study found that people who watched just three minutes of negative news in the morning were 27 per cent more likely to describe their day as unhappy six to eight hours later, compared to those who watched uplifting videos first thing.

It seems the more news people consume, the greater this impact could be, too. One study found people who watched more than six hours per day of news covering the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombings had even worse acute stress symptoms than those who

As far back as 1997, scientists found just 14 minutes of negative news was enough to lead to increased anxiety and low mood

had actually been present at or near the bombing site.

A big problem, experts say, is the relentless availability of rolling news in the modern world. Where once a morning paper or evening TV news was all that kept us on top of the day’s affairs, today we have 24-hour television news, minute-by-minute online coverage and updates to our phones, tablets and computers.

Graham CL Davey, Professor of Psychology at the University of Sussex, who has researched the impact of news on anxiety said in a recent blog: “Nowadays we can hardly avoid the news. Its modern-day tone is increasingly emotive, its medium increasingly visual and shocking, and its commentaries

increasingly negative and fear-laden. It’s not surprising that there’s growing evidence that negative news can affect our mental health.”

Constant exposure can also leave us almost addicted to bad news. Dr Elena Touroni, a consultant psychologist and co-founder of virtual psychology clinic My Online Therapy, explains, “As human beings we have what’s known as ‘negativity bias’. This means our brains are hard-wired to pay more attention to information that scares us, or things that we perceive as a threat. In the past, this was beneficial as it helped protect us from danger but in the modern day with activities like watching the news, this bias is not necessarily helpful.”

Dr Touroni added that we can feel compelled to watch rolling news in the same way our caveman ancestors were compelled to watch out for predators. In both situations, the body responds to perceived threats by releasing stress hormones. While these are useful for fighting or running away from a tiger, in the modern world they cause exhaustion and anxiety. And with repeated stress known to weaken our immune system – something we want to be strong right now – it stands to reason that exposing ourselves to the excess stress of news may not do us much good.

Of course news still has an important role in keeping us informed, educating us and providing a sense of a shared national experience. But perhaps it’s no surprise that more people are simply saying no to the news.

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