How Watching the News Affects Our Lives
And what we can do to turn things around
There has been a widespread rise in information consumption, especially after the onset of the pandemic. In their Total Audience Report study, Nielsen found out that the amount of time spent by people on streaming videos increased by almost 75% in 2020 compared to the previous year.
The consumption of news has also increased. In the UK, TV is the leading source of news at 75%, followed by the internet at 69%, according to Ofcom’s News Consumption Survey.
Understandably, it is necessary to stay updated concerning events taking place, especially in recent times.
However, exposure to so much information whose content is often negative drains our mental, emotional and physical wellbeing. It leads to increased levels of stress and anxiety.
The risk involved
When we turn on the news, what comes up? Mass shootings. Spreading fires. Climate change. Economic recession. Terrorist attacks. Political dissension. Civil unrest. Racial violence. The list goes on and on.
Yet for every bad incident, there are scores of positive ones that never get reported. The subject, context and presentation of news have increasingly taken a negative tone and constantly…
