Watching the News is Bad for You

“Journalism as theater is what TV news is.”  — Thomas Griffith

Watching the news can be a strange and depressing experience. News stations thrive off of sensationalism, as it keeps people tuning in. Staying informed – but not becoming an emotional wreck – is a delicate balance. There are a few options, but the overall consensus is that watching TV news coverage is unhealthy.

Seriously – watching the news is horrible for your mental health. Negative effects occur even with short durations. Just 15 minutes of watching random newscast footage resulted in an increase in anxiety and total mood disturbance (TMD)¹. Certainly, nothing highlighted this more than the recent pandemic. Evidence demonstrated an association between the amount of exposure to news on social media and stronger depression and PTSD symptoms². News stations love this, and purposefully feed on pandemics and other negative events to increase viewership³. Even the news admits that taking a break from its coverage is good for your mental health⁴, which is actually kind of refreshing. It’s nice to see that some journalists still believe in reporting the truth so much so that they’re willing to call themselves out, along with their employers (who pay their salaries).

If this is the case, then how are you supposed to stay informed? First is to limit your exposure⁵. Watching coverage allows reporters to jump between emotionally charged topics in order to keep you hooked. Instead, skim headlines of trusted news-source websites and dig into what you want. Close the tab when you are done. Don’t get your news from social media. Most of what is on there is provided by people without any qualifications. Finally, psychologists encourage people to become more proactive on the issues that matter to them instead of only watching/reading about them⁶. Provide your mental state the biggest favor and don’t watch the news.

Action: Set browsing boundaries to trusted sources. Avoid news on social media. Pick a way to become more proactive in the issues that matter to you.

Further Reading:

1. Negative psychological effects of watching the news in the television: relaxation or another intervention may be needed to buffer them!
2. Doomscrolling during COVID-19: The negative association between daily social and traditional media consumption and mental health symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic.
3. COVID-19 boosts appetite for trusted news sources
4. Taking a break from the news can improve mental health, study finds
5. 4 effective ways to stay informed with global events without panicking
6. Media overload is hurting our mental health. Here are ways to manage headline stress