As we continue to watch the media circus devolve into some strange and horrible beast, the American people are now showing signs of being irreparably harmed by the constant influx of salacious “news”.
It’s a well understood fact that the infotainment industry is exploiting our emotions for the sake of ratings and revenue, angering and frightening us just enough to keep us glued to the television set during commercial breaks. But a news study by researchers in Texas has now proven that there are very literal health effects to prolonged exposure to these paltry pundits.
Researchers at Texas Tech University found that Americans who obsessively follow the news are more likely to suffer from both physical and mental health problems, including anxiety and stress.
Those who constantly check the latest headlines end up with “significantly greater physical ill-being” than those who tune in less often, according to the findings. The team adds that constantly keeping on top of the latest developments can lead to a vicious cycle where people always check for more updates, rather than tuning out after a quick read.
Just how bad is it?
Study authors found 16.5 percent of participants in their experiment showed signs of “severely problematic” news consumption. That meant they often became so immersed and personally invested in news stories that current events dominated their thoughts, disrupted time with family and friends, made it difficult to focus on school or work, and contributed to restlessness an inability to sleep.
But wait, there’s more…
Almost three-quarters (73.6%) with severe levels of problematic news consumption experienced mental ill-being “quite a bit” or “very much” compared with just eight percent of all participants overall. The study also found that more than three in five (61%) news addicts experienced physical ill-being “quite a bit” or “very much” compared with just six percent of everyone else.
With the midterm elections just around the corner, (and the invariable drama that will arrive for 2024), the problem is likely only going to get worse.
