Researchers at Lubbock-based Texas Tech University used data collected from a survey of 1,100 adults in August 2021 to identify symptoms of “problematic” news consumption.
The mental well-being scores were based on self-reported feelings of stress and anxiety. Physical well-being was assessed based on symptoms including fatigue, physical pain, difficulty concentrating and gastrointestinal issues.
The researchers found that 16.5 percent of respondents’ answers correlated with high levels of problematic news consumption that affected their physical and mental well-being.
The study also found 27.3 percent were moderately affected by news consumption, 27.5 percent were minimally affected and 28.7 percent were not significantly affected.
“More research is also needed to identify and better understand the risk factors associated with problematic news consumption as well as the factors that make individuals more or less resilient to the adverse effects of problematic news consumption on mental and physical health,” the researchers wrote.
“Much is left to learn about … what might be done to help mitigate these consequences [of problematic news consumption]. Nevertheless, this study provides an important foundation and helps raise attention to a new way of considering and examining effects of the news,” they wrote.
